Pompeo Becomes First U.S. Secretary of State to Visit Israeli Settlement

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo paid the first-ever visit by a top U.S. diplomat to an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank on Thursday after announcing a new initiative to combat the international Palestinian-led boycott movement. The visit to the settlement, and the announcement that the U.S. would brand the boycott movement as anti-Semitic and cut off all funding for groups that participate in it, offered a parting gift to Israel from an administration that has broken with decades of U.S. policy to endorse Israel's claims to territory seized in war. A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the visit to the Psagot winery in a settlement near Jerusalem. Reporters were not allowed to accompany him. Pompeo had earlier said he would pay a visit to the Golan Heights. Israel seized the West Bank and the Golan Heights in the 1967 war and later annexed the Golan in a move not recognized internationally. Israel has built dozens of settlements in the West Bank, which the Palestinians want for their future state. Most of the international community views the settlements as a violation of international law and an obstacle to peace. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world. To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit http://www.bloomberg.com/qt/live, or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app. Connect with us on… YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Bloomberg Breaking News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BloombergQuickTakeNews Twitter: https://twitter.com/quicktake Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quicktake Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quicktake