Washington – The decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to expedite construction of 1,060 new settler housing units in east Jerusalem is “incompatible” with peace, the Obama administration warned on Monday, outlining “unequivocal” opposition to the move.
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“If Israel wants to live in a peaceful society, they need to take steps that will reduce tensions,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a briefing with journalists. “Moving forward with this sort of action would be incompatible with the pursuit of peace.”
Psaki said the US had not yet confirmed the approval, but that the administration was “certainly deeply concerned” by reports that Netanyahu had chosen to proceed.
“We’re engaging at the highest levels from our embassy on the ground to get more information,” she said.
The units would be constructed beyond the 1967 borders long seen as a framework for a two-state solution by the Palestinian Authority, Israeli officials said. Netanyahu also reportedly signed off on infrastructure projects in the West Bank, including road renovations.
Psaki said that the defense relationship between Jerusalem and Washington remained strong, despite a tense visit last week from Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, during which he was denied meetings with senior officials at the State Department and the White House.
Asked what consequences might befall the Israeli government, or the US-Israel relationship more broadly, should construction proceed, Psaki added: “Obviously, the international community is watching closely what they do.”
The Palestinian Authority on Monday strongly condemned Israeli plans to build new apartments in Jerusalem.
Chief PLO Negotiator Saeb Erekat said that Israel’s plans “amount to evidence of an intent to further commit crimes defined by and punishable under international law.”
Erekat called on the international community to take “decisive action in order to save the two-state solution from the colonial expansionism of the State of Israel.”
He also called on the international community to recognize a Palestinian state on the pre-1967 lines by supporting the Palestinians’ Security Council bid to put a deadline to end the Israeli “occupation.”
Nabil Abu Rudaineh, spokesman for the PA presidency, also condemned the plan to build new apartments in Jerusalem as “unacceptable and dangerous.”
Abu Rudaineh said that Israel’s “dangerous violations” make it imperative for the Palestinians to go to the Security Council in the near future to seek a resolution calling for an Israeli withdrawal.
He also urged the US administration to intervene with Israel to avoid an “earthquake” in the region.
Israel is not some segregated neighborhood in the USA, Mr. President. Jews can live where they want!
I really don’t know where bibi’s seichel is, the whole world is warning him, including putin that doesn’t agree with obama on anything agrees that this action is inflammatory, yet this potzhead thinks he is being a strong and decisive leader by ignoring pleas from all the world powers to stop doing what he is doing, then when the world will turn against israel he will wonder why???!!!! Feh, zionism does not represent judism
Real peace is when they can live without the world looking for ways to crucify them. This will happen when Israel will start showing a backbone.
Come on Obama who do you work for?
Where should the Juden live if they can’t build houses? Maybe Obama would like to move them to Poland like in auschwitz Ch’v there is plenty of room there may we soon meet our only ally, Moshiach b’mehaira b’yamainu
Hey obama, perhaps daily arab terror is incompatible with peace? No of course not….after all, you’re one of them.
I fundamentally support it, but natenyahu is crazy for taking such a move. Which American pressure will probably stop
WE SHOULD TO MAKE A PETITION ON THE WRITEHOUSE SITE THAT OBAMA NEEDS TO STOP PRESSURING ISRAEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!
So let me get this straight – the Syrians have killed 200k of each other over the last two years, Hamas fires 20k+ missiles into Israel, and the State Department has nothing better to do that criticize Israel over… building houses? Sounds insane to me.