Context
The US is “deeply concerned” over the Israeli decision to allow building of 930 apartment houses in a new east Jerusalem settlement, according to a State Department official. “Unilateral actions work against efforts to resume direct negotiations and contradict the logic of a reasonable and necessary agreement between the parties,” said the official on Tuesday. He added that a political solution to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian crisis can only be attained through direct negotiations and good faith. Washington has raised the matter of the settlement, which was authorized last week, with the Israeli government, the official said.
