President Donald Trump says Israel’s construction of illegal settlements on the occupied Palestinian lands is not a good thing but “I don’t want to condemn Israel.”
Trump made the remarks in an interview with an Israeli newspaper published on Friday, days ahead of his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.
“No, I don’t want to condemn Israel,” Trump told Israel Hayom. “Israel has had a long history of condemnation and difficulty. And I don’t want to be condemning Israel. I understand Israel very well, and I respect Israel a lot, and they have been through a lot.”