Top Minister Says Israel to Keep Promoting Settlements Despite US Concern

A view of Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the West Bank, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (AP)
A view of Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the West Bank, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (AP)
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Top Minister Says Israel to Keep Promoting Settlements Despite US Concern

A view of Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the West Bank, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (AP)
A view of Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the West Bank, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (AP)

A top Israeli minister defied US concern over settlement building in the occupied West Bank on Monday, saying the government would continue building and would not accept "preaching" from other countries.

"This is our country, all of it," said Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also holds some West Bank powers, during his party faction meeting. "Does anyone think that Israel will be managed like another US state? I will not accept moral preaching from anybody," Kan broadcaster reported him saying.

Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel occupied in a 1967 Middle East war as illegal, and their expansion has for decades been among the most contentious issues between Israel, the Palestinians and the international community.

Palestinian leaders have sought to establish an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza with East Jerusalem as its capital, and say settlements undermine hopes of a viable state.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's religious-nationalist government said it planned to approve 4,560 new housing units in various areas of the West Bank. The US State Department said it was "deeply troubled" by the decision.

"As has been longstanding policy, the United States opposes such unilateral actions that make a two-state solution more difficult to achieve and are an obstacle to peace," the statement said.

Senior Palestinian official Hussein Al-Sheikh said the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, boycotted an economic meeting with Israel scheduled for Monday in protest of settlement growth.

Another Palestinian official, Wasel Abu Youssef, called on the international community to move from statements of condemnation "to imposing a boycott on the government of the Israeli occupation".

Since taking office in January, Netanyahu's coalition has approved the promotion of more than 7,000 new housing units, most deep in the West Bank. It also amended a law to clear the way for settlers to return to four settlements that had previously been evacuated.

According to the United Nations, some 700,000 settlers live in 279 settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, up from 520,000 in 2012.

Israel cites biblical, historical and political ties to the area and in a recent interview with Sky News, Netanyahu said Israeli settlements were not an obstacle to peace with the Palestinians.



Trump Secures $600 Billion Saudi Investment Pledge on Gulf Tour

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. (Reuters)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. (Reuters)
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Trump Secures $600 Billion Saudi Investment Pledge on Gulf Tour

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. (Reuters)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. (Reuters)

US President Donald Trump secured a $600 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to invest in the United States as he kicked off a Gulf tour in Riyadh where he was welcomed by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

The leaders signed an agreement on energy, defense, mining and other areas, which the White House said will “build economic ties that will endure for generations to come.”

“The deals celebrated today are historic and transformative for both countries and represent a new golden era of partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia,” it added in a statement.

Among the agreements secured on Tuesday: Saudi Arabian DataVolt is moving forward with plans to invest $20 billion in AI data centers and energy infrastructure in the United States.

Google, DataVolt, Oracle, Salesforce, AMD, and Uber are committing to invest $80 billion in cutting-edge transformative technologies in both countries, said the White House.

American companies including Hill International, Jacobs, Parsons, and AECOM are building key infrastructure projects like King Salman International Airport, King Salman Park, The Vault, Qiddiya City, and much more totaling $2 billion in US services exports.

Additional major exports include GE Vernova’s gas turbines and energy solutions totaling $14.2 billion and Boeing 737-8 passenger aircraft for AviLease totaling $4.8 billion.

Investment partnerships include several sector-specific funds with a strong emphasis on US deployment, such as the $5 billion Energy Investment Fund, the $5 billion New Era Aerospace and Defense Technology Fund, and the $4 billion Enfield Sports Global Sports Fund.

Trump had arrived in the Kingdom earlier on Tuesday on his first overseas trip since his reelection. He will next visit the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Saudi Arabia and the United States also signed the largest defense sales agreement in history, worth nearly early $142 billion.