For Jewish settlers, it represented acceptance; for Palestinians betrayal; and for watchers of the conflict it was a precursor of what may come next — the annexation of parts of the West Bank.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo this week reversed decades of American policy when he announced that the United States will no longer consider Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank as necessarily violating international law.

But the decision did not come as a surprise for many of those living on the land.

For Jews living in the territories Israel occupied during the 1967 Six-Day War, key policy decisions, including moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and cutting aid to Palestinians, had already served as a sign that the Trump administration is firmly on their side. Read more

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The Trump administration on Monday reversed the decadeslong U.S. position that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal.

The Trump administration on Monday reversed the decadeslong U.S. position that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal.

The Trump administration on Monday reversed the decadeslong U.S. position that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal.

The Trump administration on Monday reversed the decadeslong U.S. position that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal.

The Trump administration on Monday reversed the decadeslong U.S. position that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal.

The Trump administration on Monday reversed the decadeslong U.S. position that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal.

The Trump administration on Monday reversed the decadeslong U.S. position that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal.

The Trump administration on Monday reversed the decadeslong U.S. position that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal.