To the Editor:

Re “In Reversal, U.S. Sides With Israel on Settlements” (front page, Nov. 19 ):

The idea is ludicrous that the path to Israeli-Palestinian peace can be furthered by the Trump administration’s new policy, which bows to Israel’s expansionism in the West Bank. But that is what Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asserted.

Palestinians desire a contiguous portion of their historic lands on which to run their own nation. That’s the vision that would bring them to the bargaining table with some hope .

The unch ecked establishment of settlements, which splinter the Palestinians’ territory and dominate the ridgelines above their villages and towns, has them reacting with alarm and outrage. That doesn’t make for an atmosphere conducive to talking peace.

Helen Winternitz

Boulder, Colo.

The writer is the author of “A Season of Stones: Living in a Palestinian Village.”