U.S. condemns Israel's planned construction in the West Bank

Israel's decision to build new housing in the West Bank could "undermine the pursuit of peace," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Wednesday.

Israeli officials announced the construction last week, saying it's not a new project but rather an expansion of an existing settlement that will house residents of another settlement that has been ordered demolished. "We did receive public assurances from the Israeli government that contradicts this announcement," Earnest said. "I guess when we're talking about how good friends treat one another, that's a source of serious concern as well." In 2009, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during an address at a university, "The territorial issues will be discussed in a permanent agreement. Till then, we have no intention to build new settlements or set aside land for new settlements."

U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner released a statement saying U.S. officials "strongly condemn" the move, adding that the settlement's location "deep in the West Bank, far closer to Jordan than Israel, would link a string of outposts that effectively divide the West Bank and make the possibility of a viable Palestinian state more remote." The fact that the announcement came after the U.S. and Israel agreed on a multibillion-dollar defense agreement makes it "deeply troubling," he said. Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, released a statement arguing that Israel "continues to impede international efforts to achieve peace in Palestine and the region amidst the complete inaction by the international community to hold Israel accountable for the crimes it continues to commit against the land and people of Palestine."

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