Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced today that the US government will no longer hold the position that settlements built in the West Bank are necessarily illegal, saying the decision recognizes reality on the ground.

“The establishment of Israeli civilian settlements is not per se inconsistent with international law,” Pompeo told journalists at a news conference at the State Department.

Pompeo insisted that the timing of the announcement was not meant to give a boost to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he watches to see if his rival Benny Gantz is able to form an Israeli governing coalition or to distract from impeachment proceedings in Washington, but was based only on the conclusion of a comprehensive legal review conducted by administration lawyers. Pompeo also rejected any assertion that the decision could have a negative impact on the ability to reach a two-state deal.

“We believe that what we’ve done today is we have recognized the reality on the ground,” Pompeo said. “We’ve now declared that settlements are not per se illegal under international law, and we have provided the very space … for Israel and the Palestinians to come together to find a political solution to this very, very vexing problem.”