U.S. angry as Israel plans expansion in Jerusalem

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement Tuesday that  the administration was ‘dismayed’ about the Israel Planning Committee’s decision to expand settlements in Jerusalem.

Israel’s decision to further develop the neighborhood of Gilo located in East Jerusalem, which borders the West Bank, angered the U.S. government. Efforts to relaunch peace negotiations were one of the top priorities of the Obama administration, Gibbs said in a press release.

“These actions make it more difficult for our efforts to succeed,” Gibbs said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Gilo is part of Jerusalem and an integral part of Israel, according to a Tuesday Associated Press article.

“Building in Gilo has continued unabated for decades, and there is nothing new in the current planning and construction,” Netanyahu’s office said.

“The U.S. also objects to other Israeli practices in Jerusalem related to housing, including the continuing pattern of evictions and demolitions of Palestinian homes,” Gibbs said.

Nabil Abu Rdeneh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said in the article that the U.S. position will not make a difference in Israel’s actions, and that “there should be real American pressure on the Israelis to stop all these acts.”

The White House’s statement issued Tuesday differed from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s comment made in her last visit to Israel three weeks ago, where according to the article she said Netanyahu demonstrated “restraint” when it came to future settlement projects in the West Bank area.

Clinton later made an unexpected visit to Egypt as an attempt to calm some Arab leaders who were angered by her initial statement.

Palestinian officials said Palestine requires Israel to cease all settlement plans before it can think of restarting peace talks, Associated Press reported

1 comments

Adriana Barbosa

Sat Nov 21 2009 05:49

Empty rebellion, revolt, dismay, disgust, anger, vexation, exasperation, displeasure, crossness, irritation, irritability, indignation, annoyance, fury, ire, outrage, irascibility, choler just don't mean a thing. Obama may be angry, Lula may be upset, Hillary Clinton may illude herself about what she thinks will be obtained from her negotiations, but what exactly can and will be done to stop the worldly unapproved settlements?

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