Palestinian officials fumed over statements made by America’s ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, referring to Judea and Samaria as under "alleged occupation."
The officials called the statement a "gross violation of international law, decisions of international institutions and the agreements reached under US brokership, as well as being diametrically opposed to UN resolutions and the US administration's viewpoints.
Friedman caused a diplomatic shudder last week after referring to Israel’s “alleged occupation” of these territories.
The U.S. State Department was forced to clarity comments made by David Friedman in an interview he held with the Jerusalem Post late last week, but U.S. officials quickly stressed that his statement did not represent a change in thinking.
“The ambassador’s comment in the interview does not represent a shift in U.S policy,” a U.S. official said.