Israeli paper: Trump says settlements don't advance peace
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
An Israeli newspaper is quoting President Donald Trump as saying that settlement expansion in land claimed by the Palestinians does not benefit peace.
The remarks came in a Trump interview with Yisrael Hayom, a pro-Benjamin Netanyahu paper, just days before the Israeli prime minister is to visit the White House.
Trump is quoted as saying that he is not a person who believes that proceeding with settlements is good for peace.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The interview was published on Friday in Hebrew. An English transcript of Trump's quotes was not available.
Netanyahu's hawkish coalition is emboldened after Trump has signaled a softer approach to the settlement issue.
The Palestinians claim the West Bank and east Jerusalem as part of their future state. Most of the international community considers the settlements illegal.