US condemns Israel’s plans to build 3,000 new settler units

The United States has condemned Israel’s plan to build thousands more settler units in East al-Quds (Jerusalem) and the West Bank as “counterproductive.”

The Obama administration, like previous US administrations, has been “very clear with Israel that these activities set back the cause of a negotiated peace,” US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday.

She added that it is in Israel’s interest to take steps towards Palestinians in the West Bank, “whether or not there is a comprehensive agreement in the near future.”

Clinton made the remarks at a forum in Washington that was attended by top Israeli officials, including Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

The Israeli regime authorized the construction of 3,000 more settlement units in the occupied lands in retaliation for the historic success of Palestinians in gaining recognition as an observer non-member state at the United Nations.

The United States, Israel and Canada were among just nine countries that voted against the UN General Assembly resolution, arguing that it is only through negotiations with Tel Aviv that Palestinian statehood ambitions can be realized.

The US also blocked Palestine’s full membership bid at the UN Security Council last year, using its veto power.

In 2010, Israel broke down the talks after refusing to extend a moratorium on its settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The observer state status grants Palestinians access to UN agencies and the International Criminal Court where they can file complaints against Israel. The upgrade also allows Palestinians to participate in debates at the UN and improves their chances of joining UN agencies.

About 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since the occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem (al-Quds). The settlements are considered illegal under international law.