In a move likely to challenge the incoming US administration, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that he will advance plans to build over 800 new homes in the West Bank days before Joe Biden is sworn in as president of the United States.
The move is likely to cause tensions with the incoming administration which has already clarified its position that it opposes new settlement construction.
Netanyahu announced his decision on Facebook in the wake of a terror attack in which an Israeli woman was killed by a Palestinian terrorist last month near the Tal Menashe settlement.
Many compared this to a similar situation back in 2010, when Netanyahu announced new settlement construction just as the then-vice president touched down for a visit meant to calm U.S.-Israel relations, a move that angered the Obama administration and further deteriorated relationships.
