For the first time in history: U.S. Secretary of State visits Israeli settlements in the West Bank

On November 19, US Chief Diplomat Mike Pompeo made history by becoming the first US Secretary of State and senior US official to visit an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Edition NBC News told about this historic event.

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Pompeo arrived in Israel on Wednesday November 18 and met in Jerusalem with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani. Pompeo became the first senior U.S. government official to visit Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which Israel began to build after 1967, when it occupied the formerly Jordanian territory. Pompeo also stopped at Qasr al-Yahud, the site of the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan Valley.

Among other things, the US Secretary of State plans to visit the Golan Heights. They were taken under Israeli control during the 1967 conflict with Syria. The United States recognized Israel's right to these territories in 2019.

The visit to the settlements is the latest in a series of steps by the Trump administration aimed at changing 40 years of US policy towards Israel. Pompeo's trip comes after Palestinian officials announced renewed cooperation with Israel on Tuesday, November 17, which was seen as a sign of improving relations.

Since 2017, US officials have actively supported Israel and its territorial claims. In particular, Jerusalem was recognized as the capital of Israel (the American embassy was moved there), and the Golan Heights - part of the country.

On the subject: Israeli doctors find a way to rescue critically ill COVID-19 patients

Another point on Pompeo’s route was the Psagot winery. In 2019, she appeared in a high-profile case in the European Union. The court then ruled that countries must identify products made in Israeli settlements.

During a visit to Israel, Pompeo issued a statement that the United States will require all manufacturers in Area C in the West Bank to label products as "Made in Israel" when exported to the United States.

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Area C is about 60 percent of the West Bank, where Israel exercises almost complete control and where most Jewish settlements are located.

The secretary said the new guidelines will ensure that the labeling is consistent with the place of origin for Israeli and Palestinian goods.

Pompeo also announced that the State Department will now view boycotts, divestments and sanctions against goods produced in Israeli settlements as anti-Semitic actions and will punish those who support them.

The majority of the international community considers settlements illegal on the basis of the Geneva Convention, according to which a country that has taken control of a part of a territory has no right to move its population to these territories. They also see them as an obstacle to a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

According to figures compiled by Peace Now, 2 Palestinians and 695 Israelis live in the West Bank.

Israel is Pompeo's fourth stop on a tour of seven countries, the leader of each of which, despite Trump's own refusal to concede, acknowledged Biden's victory in the 2020 election.

Netanyahu's congratulations came hours after other world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, congratulated the President-elect.

“Joe, we have had a long and warm personal relationship for almost 40 years,” Netanyahu wrote on Twitter. “I know you as a great friend of Israel.”

Netanyahu also thanked Trump for the friendship he has shown to the State of Israel and to him personally.

The prime minister spoke to Biden the day before Pompeo flew to Israel. According to a statement from Netanyahu's office, they agreed to meet soon and reiterated the need to continue to strengthen the strong alliance between the US and Israel.

For most of the work of the Barack Obama administration, in which Biden was vice president, Israeli settlements were labeled "illegal" and considered "obstacles to peace."

Read the reasons for the conflict between Israel and Palestine in our material.

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