Americans for Peace Now (APN) joins its Israeli sister organization Peace Now (Shalom Achshav) in condemning the Israeli government's decision to establish a new settlement in the West Bank, to publish tenders for some 2,000 new homes in West Bank settlements and to take measures that would allow for the retroactive legalization of three outposts built illegally, without initial government approval, in the West Bank.

APN also joins Peace Now's condemnation of the Israeli Cabinet's new policy of so-called "restraint," which in practice would allow it to continue with its unhindered expansion anywhere in the West Bank, including settlements adjacent to the Green Line ("settlement blocs"), more distant settlements, and East Jerusalem.  

APN calls on the Trump administration, which has been criticizing Israeli settlement activity, and which claims to be striving to advance an Israeli-Palestinian two-state solution, to back up its statements with actions and demand that Prime Minister Netanyahu immediately stop establishing more facts on the ground that undermine the two-state solution and to roll back these latest decisions. President Trump should also demand an end to Netanyahu's charade of allowing unhindered settlement activity in the guise of "construction restraint."

APN President and CEO Debra DeLee said: "This is an outrage and a farce. President Trump personally discussed West Bank settlement construction with Prime Minister Netanyahu, criticized the practice, sent emissaries to further discuss the issue with Netanyahu. Now he is acquiescing as Israel's government approves another set of settlement construction actions, including a brand-new, government-initiated settlement deep in the heart of the West Bank and a policy that will allow future settlement construction to go unhindered and unchecked -- anywhere in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

"President Trump, don't be Netanyahu's April fool. If you truly want to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, don't be a sucker. Insist on ending all settlement construction, and tell Netanyahu to stop!"

For details on the Israeli government's new decisions on settlement construction, see Peace Now's statement

For more on Israel's new settlement construction policy, see Peace Now's analysis