US Drafted Statement Condemning Settlement Boycotts, But White House Blocked It

A draft statement prepared by U.S. officials in Jerusalem and Washington in early September, intended for Secretary of State Marco Rubio, condemned planned import bans on goods from Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria by the United Kingdom, France, and Canada. The document, dated September 8 and obtained by Reuters, was reportedly spearheaded by David Millstein, a senior advisor to U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. The draft statement characterized the actions of the three countries as hostile measures that contribute to the spread of antisemitism, calling the boycott tactics "unacceptably borrowed from the arsenal of the antisemitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement."

However, the statement was ultimately not published. According to three sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters anonymously, the White House and senior State Department leadership did not support the document. On the same day, September 8, Rubio, speaking to reporters in Florida before a trip to Latin America, avoided directly criticizing the European countries' decisions but stated the U.S. would not follow suit. "Obviously, we are not going to do what the United Kingdom did," he said, adding he had no further comment at that time.

Reuters views this episode as indicative of internal disagreements within the U.S. administration regarding how to respond to Israeli settlement policy. The news agency highlighted potential differences between the White House and senior U.S. diplomats stationed in Israel. While President Donald Trump had previously expressed reservations about certain aspects of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's settlement policies, his administration had largely refrained from pressuring Israel to alter its approach. Ambassador Huckabee, a former Baptist pastor, has been a consistent supporter of Israeli settlements, referring to the region by its biblical name, Judea and Samaria, a designation not officially adopted by the U.S. His advisor, David Millstein, is also known for his strong pro-Israel stance, having previously advocated for U.S. sanctions against the International Criminal Court.

A senior U.S. official told Reuters that the draft statement was prepared without coordination with the State Department or the White House. Reuters also linked the situation to shifting public opinion in the U.S., citing a June Quinnipiac University poll showing 48% of American voters believed the U.S. provided too much support to Israel, a figure that rose to 66% among Democrats. A March Pew Research Center study indicated a growing negative sentiment towards Israel among younger Republicans (18-49 years old). The report also recalled Trump's past statements, including one in December 2025 where he noted his positions on Judea and Samaria did not fully align with Netanyahu's, and another in September 2025 where he stated he would not permit Israel to annex the territory.

The article concludes by noting the long-standing international dispute over the status of Judea and Samaria, with most countries and the UN considering Israeli settlements a violation of international law, a view Israel disputes. Reuters also mentioned instances of violence by radical Jewish settlers against Palestinians, which Ambassador Huckabee has publicly condemned while emphasizing they represent a small minority.