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US Says New Construction Will Distance Israel From 'Closest Allies'

US Says New Construction Will Distance Israel From 'Closest Allies'
Palestinian construction workers are seen on top of foundations of a new house in a West Bank settlement. (Gali Tibbon/AFP/Getty Images)

Wednesday, 01 October 2014 04:23 PM EDT

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration warned Israel on Wednesday that plans for a controversial new housing project in east Jerusalem would distance Israel from "even its closest allies" and raise questions about its commitment to seeking peace with Palestinians.

The strikingly sharp criticism from the White House and State Department came just hours after President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met at the White House. Obama spokesman Josh Earnest said the president raised his concerns about the construction project with Netanyahu privately, though the two leaders made no mention of the matter in their comments to reporters.

"This development will only draw condemnation from the international community," Earnest said. "It also would call into question Israel's ultimate commitment to a peaceful negotiated settlement with the Palestinians."

The new 2,500-unit project is contentious because it would complete a band of Jewish areas that separate Jerusalem from nearby Bethlehem.

© Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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The Obama administration warned Israel on Wednesday that plans for a controversial new housing project in east Jerusalem would distance Israel from even its closest allies and raise questions about its commitment to seeking peace with Palestinians.
US, United States, Israel
149
2014-23-01
Wednesday, 01 October 2014 04:23 PM
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