The White House on Tuesday spoke out against Israel's approval of settlement expansion in Jerusalem. In a statement released by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, the White House said they were “dismayed” at the decision. “We are dismayed at the Jerusalem Planning Committee's decision to move forward on the approval process for the expansion of Gilo in Jerusalem.” “At a time when we are working to re-launch negotiations, these actions make it more difficult for our efforts to succeed. Neither party should engage in efforts or take actions that could unilaterally pre-empt, or appear to pre-empt, negotiations. The U.S. also objects to other Israeli practices in Jerusalem related to housing, including the continuing pattern of evictions and demolitions of Palestinian homes,” the statement said. “Our position is clear: the status of Jerusalem is a permanent status issue that must be resolved through negotiations between the parties.”
