55% Of Israelis Think Trump Won’t Oppose Settlement Construction
View of the Israeli settlement of Elkana (foreground), in the West Bank. Image by Getty Images
JERUSALEM (JTA) — A majority of Israelis believe that President Donald Trump will not oppose settlement construction in the West Bank, a poll new found.
Some 55 percent of Jewish Israelis told the monthly Israel Democracy Institute and Tel Aviv University Peace Index they do not believe Trump will oppose settlement construction. Some 77 percent of Arab Israelis believe likewise.
In addition, 61 percent of Jewish Israelis and 87 percent of Arab Israelis said they do not think the Trump administration will force an unwanted peace solution on Israel.
The findings, released on Tuesday, come less than a month after Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the latter’s visit to Washington that he is not specifically attached to the two-state solution, but rather is happy to find a solution that is satisfactory to both sides.
Earlier in February, Trump said building new settlements or expanding existing ones “may not be helpful” in reaching a peace deal. At a press conference with Netanyahu in Washington, Trump told the prime minister he would like to see Israel “hold back on settlements for a little bit.”
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