Israeli settlements on the West Bank aren't just an obstacle to real peace, they're illegal under international laws to which Israel is a signatory. The Johnson, Nixon, Ford and Carter administrations all said it. As a legal scholar you know it.

Your administration has spoken out against settlement expansion, but so far that hasn't stopped it. While the Government of Israel continues to flagrantly disregard American policy, its actions run counter not just to international law but to our shared interests and values.

The Israeli government's latest West Bank land grab deserves more than the usual condemnation.

It's time for the US to call the settlements illegal and for a thorough review of American policy regarding settlements to identify ways the message can no longer be ignored.