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Ahead of a meeting with Peres on Tuesday, Biden also said there is "absolutely no space between Israel and the United States" where Israel's security is concerned.
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White House Advisor: Israel Undermining Mideast Peace
14 March 2010
Michael Bowman
Washington
The Obama administration continues to blast Israel's announcement it will build new housing in disputed East Jerusalem. VOA reports from Washington on the uncharacteristically blunt language that continues to flow between the United States and Israel.
Days have passed since Israel announced its intention to build 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem during a visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, but the Obama administration's anger appears undiminished.
Senior White House advisor David Axelrod on NBC's Meet the Press television program.
"This was an affront, it was an insult," Axelord said. "But most importantly, it undermined this very fragile effort to bring peace to that region."
Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. Palestinians view East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state under a "two-state" solution that has been the focus of on-again, off-again Middle East peace discussions promoted by the United States for years. Axelrod said Israel's construction announcement makes an elusive accord even harder to reach.
"We just now have started proximity talks - that is, shuttle diplomacy between the Palestinians and the Israelis," Axelord said. "And for this announcement to come at that time was very, very destructive."
Israeli officials have expressed regret for the timing of the announcement, but not for its substance. The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to defend its policy of expanding Jewish settlements....