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Settlement Growth By U.S. Administration

(1990-2024)

Israel’s settlement policy is sometimes associated with the policies of American administrations. President George H.W. Bush, for example, instituted a policy of deducting spending associated with settlement activity from loan guarantees provided to Israel. During President Barack Obama’s first year in office, he convinced Israel to freeze settlement construction for 10 months. By contrast, President Donald Trump was more tolerant of Israeli settlement expansion. Perceptions of how these presidents felt about settlements and their impact on their growth do not always correspond with the facts. As the table below shows, the growth of the Jewish population in the disputed territories has declined with each administration since George H.W. Bush. This does not take into account the fact that two of the five presidents served only one term.

 

Administration

Growth in the number of settlers

% growth during term

Bill Clinton

79,883

65%

George W. Bush (2004-2008)

73,373

36%

Barack Obama (2008-2016)

129,892

36%

Donald Trump (2016-2020)

57,021

14%

Joe Biden (2020-2024) 54,054 12%

*Counted whole years rather than from the beginning of terms (January of the following year).