What happened
The US Embassy in Israel drafted a statement condemning the decision of several Western countries to ban imports from Israeli settlements. However, the statement was not published due to lack of support from the White House and the US State Department.
According to reports, the draft statement was initiated by David Milstein, an aide to US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides' predecessor, and was meant to be published in the name of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The statement described the move by the 12 Western countries as a series of hostile actions against Israel that contribute to antisemitism.
The US Secretary of State's official response to the sanctions on the settlements was different and did not criticize them. Before his trip to Latin America, Rubio said, "It's clear that we're not going to do what the UK did. We saw their statement today, but I don't have a response to it right now."
The incident highlights the growing gap between US officials in Israel and the White House regarding the appropriate response to Israel's settlement expansion under the current government. It also illustrates the increasing ideological divisions within the American right regarding support for Israel.
