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US 'dismayed' by Israeli building plans in Jerusalem
The United States strongly objected to Israeli plans Tuesday to expand a key neighbourhood in an occupied area of East Jerusalem claimed by the Palestinians, warning the decision will harm peace negotiations.
In defiance of the United States, Jerusalem officials announced 900 new homes would be built in Gilo, which lies in territory seized by the Israelis in the 1967 war and later annexed. The international community does not recognize Gilo or East Jerusalem as part of Israel.
'We are dismayed at the Jerusalem Planning Committee's decision to move forward on the approval process for the expansion of Gilo in Jerusalem,' White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said in a statement. 'At a time when we are working to re-launch negotiations, these actions make it more difficult for our efforts to succeed.'