Trump to Netanyahu: ‘Hold Back’ on Settlements

President Trump publicly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a Wednesday joint press conference at the White House that he’d like to see Israel “hold back” on building more settlements in the West Bank. “I’d like to see you hold back on settlements for a little bit,” the president said. “The United States will encourage a peace, and really a great peace deal. We'll be working on it very diligently,” he added. “But it is the parties themselves who must directly negotiate such an agreement.” The president continued: “The Israelis are going to show some flexibilty... they have to show they really want to make a deal.” In the past, Trump has firmly supported the additional construction of settlements in disputed territories, at one point telling Israel to “keep going.”