The Biden administration has restored a U.S. legal finding dating back nearly 50 years that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are “illegitimate” under international law. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that the U.S. believes settlements are inconsistent with Israel's obligations. His predecessor, Mike Pompeo, rescinded the longstanding policy in 2019. The Biden administration had long been considering re-implementing the so-called “Hansell Memorandum” but those deliberations had picked up steam as Israel's response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks drew increasingly intense international criticism. However, the timing of Blinken's comments, which came in response to a reporter's question, surprised some in the administration.
