Hard on the heels of Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Israeli government has approved the construction of hundreds of homes for Jews in East Jerusalem, signalling that it expects a more lenient approach to its settlement policies from the new administration in Washington.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday held his first conversation with Mr. Trump since he became president. A statement from the prime minister’s office said they had a “very warm” exchange, and that Mr Netanyahu expressed his wish to work closely with Trump “with no daylight between the United States and Israel”.
Mr Trump invited Mr. Netanyahu to meet in Washington next month, the statement said.