“Oxfam is deeply concerned by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s announcement that the United States will reverse its longstanding policy by no longer considering Israeli settlements “inconsistent with international law.” From Oxfam’s decades of work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, we have seen firsthand how settlements violate the rights of Palestinians and further entrench poverty. This announcement risks further inflaming an already fragile situation on the ground. As recognized by successive Democratic and Republican presidents, settlements also further endanger the prospects for peace.
“Secretary Pompeo’s announcement breaks with a half-century of bipartisan precedent, as well as international law. We urge Secretary Pompeo and the Trump administration to urgently reconsider this harmful new policy.”