The Trump Administration made an announcement indicating that the US will declare that Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria are not a violation of international law on Monday.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a press conference that the Trump administration is correcting Obama’s approach toward Israeli presence in Judea and Samaria saying: “The establishment of Israeli civilian settlement in the West Bank is not per se inconsistent with international law”. He also said that the “ultimate status” of the West Bank is a “complex political problem that can only be solved by negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians.”

Pompeo added that “calling the establishment of civilian settlements inconsistent with international law has not advanced the cause of peace.” He also recalled doing his due diligence in the matter saying that he studied “all sides of the legal debate”.

Noting his source for the statement, Pompeo explained that the decision was “based on the unique facts, history, and circumstances presented by the establishment of civilian settlements in the West Bank.”

Right-wing watchdog group Regavim praised the announcement calling it a: “triumph of truth and a victory for a historical, legal fact”

In a statement, the organization said:

After taking a full year to conduct an impartial study of international law as it applies to Israel’s rights in Judea and Samaria, the US government has reversed years of falsehood and anti- Israel bias:In an historic reversal of US policy, the Trump administration announced on Monday that it does not view Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal. Regavim’s Adam v’Adamah Center for Zionism, Law, and Society has been a major force in creating this historic breakthrough. The legal experts convened by the Adam v’Adamah Center have presented the facts, analyzed the law, and argued for Israel’s rights throughout the Land of Israel for years. We congratulate President Trump, Ambassador Freidman, and Secretary of State Pompeo for this courageous, impartial, and long-overdue policy announcement.

Regavim wasn’t the only organization to applaud the move. Judean Regional Council Head Shlomo Ne’eman welcomed the move saying:

The free world decided at one time that a conquering state could not settle its civilian population on land that it acquired during times of war.  This ruling thereby unjustifiably criminalized the Jewish communities and residents of Hebron, Kfar Etzion, Beit El and Ma’ale Adumim, along with the rest of the communities in Judea and Samaria. This was a delusional and outrageous assertion, as we did not conquer neighboring foreign lands, but rather placed parts of our own country back under our control.  And now the United States took another step towards truth and justice and brought us closer to the reality in which the State of Israel won’t just rule over Judea and Samaria but will become the sole land owners of these areas – under full sovereignty. We bless the government of Israel headed by Prime Minister Netanyahu, whereas the “left” remains full of hysteria, Netanyahu continues to make history.

Meanwhile, the Chief Foreign Envoy of the Yesha Council, Oded Revivi lauded the announcement saying: “The Time has come to use both Political and Legal Platforms to Apply Israeli Law in Judea and Samaria”.

See Pompeo’s full statement below: