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"In a rare and notable White House statement on the Middle East peace process, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs issued a stand-alone statement from China today expressing sharp dismay at an Israeli municipal body's decision to expand the Gilo settlement.
"We are dismayed at the Jerusalem Planning Committee’s decision to move forward on the approval process for the expansion of Gilo in Jerusalem," 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. 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."
In previous cases, the White House has directed requests for comment about such incidents to the State Department spokespeople. But this was initiated in a stand alone statement from the White House spokesman, currently traveling with Barack Obama in China.
The statement comes just over a week after Obama held more than a seventy minute one-on-one meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said to focus largely on troubled efforts to relaunch Israeli Palestinian peace talks. Before scheduling the meeting, the White House was said by sources to have requested that Netanyahu publicly express his commitment to the peace process, and avoid provocations that could jeopardize it......
Today's White House statement appears to be a pretty pointed shot from the White House across Netanyahu's bow that it will not tolerate such backsliding and provocations at such a delicate moment in efforts to get the parties back to the peace table"
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