U.S. officials prepared a statement condemning plans by Britain, France, and Canada to ban imports from Israeli settlements, but it was never released, according to a Reuters report cited by Israel Hayom.
The draft, dated Sept. 8 and attributed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was driven by David Milstein, a senior adviser to U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, according to two sources familiar with the matter. It described the three countries' measures as hostile to Israel and said they "unacceptably draw from the playbook" of the BDS movement.
Three people familiar with the matter said the statement lacked support from both the White House and senior State Department leadership. Instead, Rubio told reporters on Sept. 8 that the U.S. would not follow Britain's lead, and declined further comment. A senior U.S. official said the draft had not been prepared in consultation with the State Department or the White House.
According to the report, the episode reflects a widening gap between the White House and Trump's senior diplomats in Israel over how to respond to settlement expansion, as well as a split within the American right over Israel, with polling showing more younger Republicans viewing Israel unfavorably.
The signals from Huckabee's own embassy have not all pointed one way. Last month, Huckabee, long identified with strong support for the settlement movement, called Israelis who pitched tents beside Palestinian homes near Qusra "Israeli terrorists" and said the embassy had asked the IDF and police to remove them. The IDF had separately called the settlers' actions illegal and reprehensible.
Trump opposed settlement expansion earlier this year, though, according to Reuters, his administration has put little pressure on Israel over the issue. Britain, France, and Canada are moving ahead with their plans.
