The absence of American condemnation of Western sanctions on the settlements raises questions about Trump’s position on Israel

US President Donald Trump and his top foreign policy adviser, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, did not issue any condemnation of the United Kingdom, France, Canada and other countries over the sanctions they intend to impose on settlements in the occupied West Bank, a remarkable development from an administration described as the “most pro-Israel” in history.

Current and former US officials told CNN that their final position on the new sanctions is still unclear.

However, the lack of condemnation so far is striking, especially given the previous administration's policies toward Israel and the Palestinian territories, such as lifting sanctions on violent settlers in the West Bank, and warnings issued by the top US diplomat in Israel.

On Wednesday, when Trump was asked about the sanctions, he took an uncharacteristically reserved tone, saying that he “will talk to Israel,” and added to reporters: “I completely understand what is going on, but I want to know why this is happening all of a sudden?”

Sources said that the United Kingdom informed the United States, including via a phone call between British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Trump, about the decision before it was announced on Tuesday.

The sources indicated that Trump and Rubio's reaction may reflect dissatisfaction with Israeli policies in the West Bank. Despite Trump's statement that he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, Israel has strengthened its control over the region, expanded settlements, and seized more land.

Although the Trump administration has ruled out imposing sanctions on Israel, the lack of condemnation from the highest levels of the administration in the days since the sanctions were announced has concerned US diplomats and US allies alike, according to the sources, who wonder whether Trump would support action.

Even the simplest measures against the settlements will constitute a major rift between Israel and its main ally, the United States, in light of its increasing isolation from the international community.

Support for sanctions, or even a continued lack of conviction, may indicate Trump's growing frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is running in elections next month.

However, sources indicate that the final response depends on how Trump wants to respond, and it may be a strategic response, as the American administration seeks to reconcile its continued support for Israel externally with growing internal discontent regarding the situation in the West Bank.

Rubio, who also refrained from commenting on or condemning the new sanctions, noted this dissatisfaction on Tuesday, telling reporters: “We do not want to see any destabilization in the West Bank in light of the events taking place in the region. We believe that has implications for our ability to make progress with respect to Gaza, the 20-point plan, and the peace council to which we are fully committed.”

He added: “It is clear that we will not do what the United Kingdom did,” but added: “We were informed of their intention to take this decision, and we listened to their arguments.”

When requested for comment, the White House referred CNN to Trump's statements on Wednesday.

The former US ambassador to Israel, Daniel Shapiro, said that the absence of the initial condemnation “represents, at least, an acknowledgment by the US administration that Israeli extremist violence in the West Bank, and the statements and actions of extremist ministers in the Israeli government, have become a problem.”

The brief statements from Trump and Rubio contradict those of Ambassador Mike Huckabee, who accused the British government of “Jewish hatred,” even though the Secretary of State is Jewish, and warned before the UK’s announcement that it could have a “significant impact on British businesses.”

A White House official said that those statements were not coordinated with the White House or the State Department.

A former senior US official told CNN that Huckabee's reaction "was consistent with his views, which he has expressed for decades, on Israel, settlements and the West Bank."

He pointed out, "This is what he probably expected, because many expected this to be the administration's initial reaction, based on its history and the views it had previously expressed."

At the beginning of Trump's second term, the US administration lifted the sanctions imposed by the administration of former President Joe Biden on violent Israeli settlers.

Unlike its international partners, the United States has not publicly condemned Israel's plans to move forward with the E1 settlement project, which effectively divides the West Bank into north and south, making a contiguous Palestinian state nearly impossible, and separates East Jerusalem - the desired capital of a future Palestinian state - from the rest of the territory.

Israel's far-right Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has openly defended settlement expansion as a way to "bury" the idea of ​​a Palestinian state.

Smotrich said - when the "E1" project received final approval - that it was "not about slogans, but about actions."

Israel took control of East Jerusalem and the West Bank during the 1967 war. Both areas are considered occupied territories under international law, and Israeli settlements there are widely viewed as “illegal.”

Shapiro, who is currently a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said that with regard to violence in the West Bank, “this is something that Trump has leverage on to pressure Netanyahu and take relatively limited action, given the approaching election date.”

He added: "Netanyahu would very much like to obtain Trump's support - whether it is explicit if possible, or implicit if that is not possible - and he certainly does not want him to make any statement suggesting that Trump believes that conditions would be better under a different government. I believe that Trump has strong pressure cards, but I do not think that he has actually used them yet."

In a related context, another former American official expressed doubt that Netanyahu would restrain the settlers before the elections. This former official described the sanctions to be imposed as a “warning shot,” while another American official wondered whether these sanctions would be effective.

“These sanctions being imposed now are galvanizing popular support around Israel - and to some extent around Netanyahu - strengthening his argument that the world is against us right now,” the officials said.