The official spokesman for the US State Department, Matthew Miller, confirmed that the administration of US President Joe Biden adheres to its statement issued on Sunday in his name regarding the ministry's condemnation of the Israeli government's decision to establish a permanent presence in the Homesh outpost.

“Let me start by repeating what we said in the statement before I get to your questions, which is that we are deeply concerned about the recent order by the Israeli government that allowed citizens to establish a presence,” Miller said in his first public press conference (Monday, 5/22/2023). permanently in the Homesh outpost in the northern West Bank, which, according to Israeli law, was built illegally on private Palestinian land.

"As we indicated in our statement last night, this is inconsistent with both the written commitment of former Prime Minister (Ariel) Sharon to the administration of former President (George DePew) Bush in 2004 and, significantly, the current Israeli government's commitments to the Biden administration," Miller added.

Miller emphasized that "concerning contacts with the Israeli government, of course we communicate with our Israeli counterparts on a number of levels, constantly, and with regard to many contents, and regarding the messages exchanged between former US President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister (then) Sharon, that our point of view was clear and consistent The expansion of settlements always undermines the geographical content of the two-state solution, as it exacerbates tensions, and further damages trust between the two parties, and this is consistent with the views of previous administrations, both Democratic and Republican, including the views expressed in the aforementioned exchange of letters.

Miller stressed that "the position of the United States has not changed with the passage of time. Our position has been clear and consistent across administrations, and we see that these messages (exchanged between US President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Sharon) have not been withdrawn," noting that Israel has not withdrawn the commitments it made. it in her message.

Regarding what Miller mentioned in his statement (21/5/23) regarding Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Noble Sanctuary and whether there is a legal understanding with Israel regarding not storming it by the Israelis, Miller said: “I will only repeat that we are very concerned about the provocative visit to the Noble Sanctuary, the Temple Mount "We believe in not using this holy place for political purposes, and we call on all parties to respect its sanctity. More broadly, we reaffirm the firm US position in support of the historical status quo in the holy places in Jerusalem and underscore Jordan's special role as custodian of the Islamic holy places in Jerusalem." He called on both sides to "avoid actions that lead to an escalation of tensions and make a final solution more difficult."

In response to a question by Al-Quds.com correspondent about the nature of the steps that can be taken by the administration to deter Israel from its plans, Miller said: “I disagree first and foremost to some extent with the implicit premise of your question that the words we send from this rostrum or say Elsewhere in the American government they have no influence, and what I will say is, we will continue to express our views - and we will express our views publicly, as we did in the statement last night, as I am here, and we will continue to express our views privately.

Regarding what the Israelis announced about plans to build 400 housing units in the town of Abu Dis, Miller replied, "With regard to these reports, we have made it clear, on a number of occasions, that the Biden administration, like most administrations that preceded it, sees that expanding settlements brings results." It is counterproductive and constitutes an obstacle to peace and undermines the geographical feasibility of the two-state solution, and we, in turn, will continue to clarify this point of view publicly and privately to the governments of the region.