White House opposes new construction in East Jerusalem
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The Obama administration said today it opposed Israel’s move to build about 700 apartments in East Jerusalem.
President Obama has been working to bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the bargaining table, but efforts have been stalled over the question of construction in the settlements and in parts of Jerusalem.
Obama has demanded an end to all construction, but has appeared in recent statements to have eased his stance, much to the annoyance of the Palestinians who continue to call for an end to all building.
After meeting with Obama, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a slowdown in West Bank settlement construction several weeks ago, but that did not include East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians claim as their capital.
Israel insists Jerusalem must be united and under its control. The Housing Ministry said it had approved 692 new apartments in three existing Jewish neighborhoods in the eastern area, captured in the 1967 war. The international community does not recognize Israel’s annexation of the area.
‘The United States opposes new Israeli construction in East Jerusalem,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement. “The status of Jerusalem is a permanent status issue that must be resolved by the parties through negotiations and supported by the international community.
“Neither party should engage in efforts or take actions that could unilaterally preempt, or appear to preempt, negotiations. Rather, both parties should return to negotiations without preconditions as soon as possible,” Gibbs said.
“We believe that through good faith negotiations the parties can mutually agree on an outcome that realizes the aspirations of both parties for Jerusalem, and safeguards its status for people around the world.’
-- Michael Muskal
