US officials prepared a draft statement criticizing UK, French, and Canadian plans to block settlement imports, but the document was never released.
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ManyPress Editorial
Key facts
- •The draft statement was dated September 8 and intended for Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
- •The document criticized plans by the UK, France, and Canada to block imports from West Bank settlements.
- •Three sources confirmed the White House and senior State Department leadership opposed the statement's release.
- •David Milstein, an aide to Ambassador Mike Huckabee, was identified as a primary driver behind the draft.
- •Secretary Rubio publicly refrained from criticizing the countries' decisions during a September 8 press appearance.
In early September, US officials in Washington and Jerusalem drafted a statement for Secretary of State Marco Rubio that condemned plans by the UK, France, and Canada to restrict imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The September 8 document, which was never released, characterized these actions as hostile measures contributing to antisemitism. Sources stated that the White House and senior State Department leadership did not support the draft.
Internal Disagreements on Policy
The draft statement was reportedly driven by David Milstein, an aide to US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. It argued that the international efforts to block settlement goods drew from the tactics of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement. When speaking to reporters on September 8, Secretary Rubio declined to criticize the countries involved, stating only that the US would not follow the UK's lead.
Broader Diplomatic Context
The incident highlights a divide between the White House and US diplomats in Israel regarding the expansion of settlements under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While President Donald Trump has expressed opposition to settlement expansion, his administration has exerted limited pressure on Israel to change its policies. This stance has occasionally created friction with Ambassador Huckabee, a vocal supporter of the settlements who refers to the West Bank by the biblical term Judea and Samaria.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by CBS News World, Al Jazeera, Straits Times World, Jerusalem Post.
