Trump's 180 on settlements came after meeting Jordan's King Abdullah this morning [View all]

[BeyondGeography]

The NYT offers a little more color on the Administration's seeming about-face on Israeli settlement construction today. Turns out an opponent got the President's ear:

...In the most startling shift, the White House issued an unexpected statement appealing to the Israeli government not to expand the construction of Jewish settlements beyond their current borders in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Such expansion, it said, “may not be helpful in achieving” the goal of peace.

...The White House noted that the president “has not taken an official position on settlement activity.” It said he would discuss the issue with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel when they meet Feb. 15, in effect telling Mr. Netanyahu to wait until then. Emboldened by Mr. Trump’s support, Israel has announced more than 5,000 new homes in the West Bank since his inauguration.

Mr. Trump shifted his policy after he met briefly with King Abdullah II of Jordan on the sidelines of the National Prayer Breakfast — an encounter that put the king, one of the most respected leaders of the Arab world, ahead of Mr. Netanyahu in seeing the new president. Jordan, with its large Palestinian population, has been steadfastly critical of settlements.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/world/middleeast/iran-missile-test-trump.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share

While the statement itself was encouraging, the backstory is anything but. Trump is a policy neophyte and can be swayed by the last person who talked to him. In foreign policy, he is already seen an unreliable partner, an image that will only be reinforced with stories like this.