Arab League Condemns U.S. Mideast Policy Shift

Arab League foreign ministers have denounced the Trump administration’s announcement that it no longer considers Israeli communities built in Yehudah and Shomron to be a violation of international law.

In an emergency meeting convened Monday, a week after the U.S. announcement, Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit called the decision “unfairly biased and unacceptable.” He says the U.S. has forfeited its role as a neutral arbiter between Israel and the Palestinians.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who announced the policy change last week, tweeted on Monday that “It’s time for Arab countries to abandon boycotts and engage Israel. Middle East divisions = instability.

“Arab thinkers who risk their lives to bravely advocate a regional vision of peace and coexistence shouldn’t face retribution. We need dialogue,” he wrote.