Trump Administration Divided Over Support for Israeli Settlements

A leaked US document from early September revealed a draft statement that proposed Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemn British, French, and Canadian plans to ban imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The document, dated September 8 and obtained by Reuters, suggested Rubio characterize these European and Canadian plans as "a series of hostile actions against Israel" and link them to antisemitism, asserting they were derived from the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement's strategies. According to two sources familiar with the matter, the draft was initiated by David Millstein, an aide to then-US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

However, the statement was never released, as it did not receive approval from the White House and senior State Department officials, according to three informed sources. On September 8, Rubio himself, speaking to reporters in Florida, avoided direct criticism of the British decision or those of the other two countries, stating only that the US "would not do what the UK did" and that he had seen their announcement but had no comment at the time.

This incident highlights internal divisions within the Trump administration regarding how to handle Israeli settlement expansion under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government. It also points to broader disagreements within the American right concerning the extent of support for Israel, coinciding with declining public approval for the country, particularly among younger conservatives.

While President Trump had previously expressed opposition to expanding Israeli settlements, which have become a growing source of tension, his administration had not exerted significant pressure on the Israeli government to alter its settlement policy. This sometimes placed Trump at odds with Ambassador Huckabee, a strong proponent of settlements who used the term "Judea and Samaria" for the West Bank, a designation favored by the Israeli government but not officially by the US.

Millstein, credited with initiating the draft statement, had previously called for US sanctions against the International Criminal Court to prevent it from pursuing war crimes charges against Israeli officials related to the Gaza war, a measure the Trump administration has not taken.

In response to Reuters' inquiries, a senior US official stated the draft was not developed in consultation with the State Department or the White House. The US Embassy in Israel referred inquiries to the State Department, while the White House did not respond to a request for comment. These developments occur as US public support for Israel has declined since the 2023 Gaza war, especially among Democrats. Polls indicate a significant shift in attitudes, with a majority of Democrats and a growing number of younger Republicans expressing negative views towards Israel.