The Statement the White House Shelved: U.S. Declined to Condemn British Sanctions on Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria

Reuters reported today (Thursday) that the White House shelved a document drafted to condemn the British statement against Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. The document included sharp criticism of the British government’s policy.

According to the report, U.S. officials at the American Embassy in Jerusalem, together with officials in Washington, drafted a document in early September intended for adoption by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The document criticized plans by Britain, France, and Canada to ban imports from Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.

The drafting of the document was advanced by David Milstein, a senior adviser to U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. The draft proposed that Rubio describe the three countries’ actions as a series of hostile measures against Israel that, according to the document’s authors, contribute to antisemitism. "These tactics draw, in an unacceptable way, from the playbook of the antisemitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement," the document stated.

As noted, the statement was not released. The reason: it did not receive support from the White House or senior leadership at the U.S. State Department. Rubio made do with a statement to reporters in the United States who asked him about it about two weeks ago, after the British announcement was published: "Clearly, we are not going to do what Britain did. We saw their announcement, but I have no comment on the matter at this time."