In response to news that the Israeli government has given final approval for a “controversial settlement expansion project” “that supporters and critics alike say will deal a major blow to the contiguity of territory that Palestinians hope will be part of a future independent state,” today, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement:

“Netanyahu’s decision to move forward with these settlements is fundamentally wrong. His administration’s decision further inflames already high tensions in the West Bank and directly undermines prospects for a two-state solution – pushing the region further away from achieving a just and lasting peace that both guarantees Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state and ensures the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. Instead of risking further instability in the West Bank, the focus should be on ending the nightmare in Gaza by establishing a ceasefire, bringing all remaining hostages home, and surging humanitarian aid.

“Donald Trump promised to secure a ceasefire in his first week in office, but the horrible suffering of innocent Palestinian civilians and the hostages in Gaza continues. It’s time for Trump to demonstrate the leadership he promised. Further, the Trump Administration should oppose settlement expansion absent final status negotiations, as past Republican and Democratic presidents have done, and facilitate an immediate end to the Gaza crisis as part of the strategy to create the conditions for a just and lasting peace to take root.”