Israel announcement 'calculated' to damage talks, adviser says

Israel's announcement last week that it was expanding settlements in East Jerusalem was calculated to undermine preliminary peace talks with the Palestinians, a top White House adviser said today.

Senior Adviser David Axelrod criticized the Israeli government for announcing the expansion while Vice President Joe Biden was visiting the country, undercutting the VP's mission to set the stage for negotiations.

"We've just gotten proximity, so-called proximity talks going between the Palestinians and the Israelis, and this seemed calculated to undermine that," Axelrod told ABC's "This Week," adding that the announcement was "distressing to everyone who is promoting the idea of peace and security in the region."

Axelrod repeated Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's comment that the move was an "insult" to the U.S., and said officials have made clear to Israel that "this was not the right way to behave."

Biden was forced to issue a statement condemning the settlements while in Israel meeting with top officials.