In the video: Prime Minister Netanyahu in Gush Etzion: "The US decision is the correction of a historical injustice, this is a great day and an achievement that will stand for generations" (still photo: Kobi Gideon, GPO, editing by Shaul Adam)
The Biden administration informed Israel two weeks ago that it would no longer fund or participate in research and development projects and scientific cooperation in settlements, State Department officials said.
Why it's important:
- The Biden administration's decision reverses the policy announced by the Trump administration, which for the first time since 1967 allowed U.S. government money to be transferred to research and scientific projects in settlements.
- The decision is particularly relevant for Ariel University, where research and development takes place. Recently, researchers from the university submitted a request to the Israeli-American Science Foundation for funding for a project they are carrying out.
Reminder:
- On October 28, 2020, a few weeks before the election in which Donald Trump was defeated, the United States and Israel announced that they would lift geographic restrictions previously imposed on three Israeli-American research and development and scientific cooperation foundations that prevented them from financing settlement projects.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman signed the changes at a ceremony at Ariel University.
- Since the foundations were founded fifty years ago, they have invested about a billion and a half dollars in research and development in Israel.
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The Biden administration updated Israel on the decision two weeks ago. Ofra settlement (Photo: Reuters)
Backstage:
- The decision to cancel the Trump administration's policy change was made by the US State Department two years ago, but only recently did it have to be done in practice because of an application submitted to one of the foundations for a grant for a scientific project beyond the Green Line.
- U.S. officials updated Israel on the decision, and at the same time, the U.S. State Department updated a number of U.S. government ministries on a return to the pre-October 2020 policy that prohibited cooperation or funding of scientific projects in the settlements.
- U.S. officials said Israel had been briefed on the policy change even before recent government decisions on settlement expansion.
- "The directive that was circulated made clear that participation in joint science and technology projects with Israel in areas that came under its control after June 5, 1967, and whose future should be determined in permanent status negotiations, is inconsistent with U.S. policy," said a senior State Department official.
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- Political-Political
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Tags
- Settlements
- United States
- Benjamin Netanyahu
- University in Ariel
- Joe Biden