The Trump administration issued an unexpected statement Thursday to the Israeli government, following the announcement that Israel plans to build the first entirely new Jewish-only settlement in the occupied West Bank in 20 years. In response, the White House said, “While we don’t believe the existence of settlements is an impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal.” Trump’s pick for U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, is a longtime supporter of Israel’s settlements and raised millions of dollars to support them.