White House 'dismayed' by Israel settlements

The White House has issued a terse statement today reacting to Israel's expansion of settlements on the West Bank.

Earlier today, an Israeli government committee approved 900 new housing units in the Gilo settlement. George Mitchell, the U.S. envyoy to the Middle East, had reportedly asked Israel to deny any further settlements.

"We are dismayed at the Jerusalem Planning Committee’s decision to move forward on the approval process for the expansion of Gilo in Jerusalem," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement.

"At a time when we are working to re-launch negotiations, these actions make it more difficult for our efforts to succeed."

The statement continued:

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.  Our position is clear: the status of Jerusalem is a permanent status issue that must be resolved through negotiations between the parties.