The US is really clashing with Israel over settlements? Don’t believe the hype:
The US has renewed a program of massive loan guarantees to Israel in spite of an ongoing dispute about the construction of illegal settlements in the West Bank.
According to Reuters, the program allows Israel to sell bonds and take out loans with the backing of the US. The nine billion dollar program was originally approved in 2002 to help Israel cope with an economic downturn.
According to Israeli economist Shir Hever of the Alternative Information Center in Jerusalem, the loan guarantees are actually contradictory to the US’ diplomatic stance on settlements.
“The US is allowing its money to be used to violate international law,” Hever told Ma’an in a phone interview. “The US cannot claim to be an impartial arbiter,” because of its overall economic support for Israel.