(Washington Post) Glenn Kessler - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton rebuked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday over Israel's announcement during Vice President Biden's visit of plans to build 1,600 housing units in a disputed area of Jerusalem. President Obama had approved Clinton's call, sitting down with her during their weekly meeting Thursday to determine the language she would use. "The secretary and the president worked through together the specific points she would be making to Prime Minister Netanyahu," deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said. Some analysts said Clinton's call risked emboldening Arab and Palestinian officials to make new demands before talks start. U.S. officials said Clinton made specific requests of Netanyahu to get the peace process back on track and to repair the damage to the relationship. The future of Jerusalem is a major point of dispute in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel captured East Jerusalem during the 1967 war and subsequently annexed and populated it in a move not recognized by the international community.
2010-03-15 09:39:10Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive