Clinton slams Israel on housing announcement

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Clinton slams Israel on housing announcement

By MATTHEW LEE (AP) – 25 minutes ago

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday delivered a

stinging rebuke to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for his

government's announcement this week of new Jewish housing in East Jerusalem.

The State Department said Clinton spoke to Netanyahu by phone to express U.S.

frustration with Tuesday's announcement that cast a pall over a visit to Israel

by Vice President Joe Biden. A State spokesman said the Israeli move has

endangered indirect peace talks with the Palestinians that the Obama

administration had announced just a day earlier.

Clinton called " to make clear that the United States considered the announcement

to be a deeply negative signal about Israel's approach to the bilateral

relationship and counter to the spirit of the vice president's trip, " department

spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters.

The harsh criticism of America's closest Mideast ally and questions about its

commitment to the U.S.-Israeli relationship followed equally blunt condemnation

of the housing announcement from the White House and Biden himself.

It also comes ahead of a trip to the region by U.S. Mideast peace envoy

and a meeting in Moscow next week of senior officials from the Quartet

of Mideast peacemakers.

The Israeli announcement took the U.S. by surprise and enraged Palestinians and

Arab states, jeopardizing indirect peace talks is to mediate

" The secretary said she could not understand how this happened, particularly in

light of the United States' strong commitment to Israel's security and she made

clear that the Israeli government needed to demonstrate not just through words

but through specific actions that they are committed to this relationship and to

the peace process, " he said.

Crowley stressed that the United States strongly objected to both the content

and timing of the announcement and said Clinton had " reinforced that this action

had undermined trust and confidence in the peace process and in America's

interests. "

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