Israeli settlement action 'an insult': Obama aide

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Israel's announcement of plans to build 1,600 settler homes in east Jerusalem was not only an "insult" to the United States but "destructive" of the Middle East peace process, a top White House official said Sunday. "This was an affront, it was an insult but most importantly it undermined this very fragile effort to bring peace to that region," said David Axelrod, one of President Barack Obama's closest advisers.

"We have just started proximity talks, that is shuttle diplomacy, between the Palestinians and the Israelis, and for this announcement to come at that time was very destructive," he said on NBC television's Meet the Press show.

Israel's announcement of plans to build the 1,600 housing units in mostly Arab east Jerusalem came March 10 during a visit by US Vice President Joe Biden that had aimed to encourage the first indirect Israeli-Palestinian talks since Israel's 2008-2009 offensive in Gaza.

Axelrod's comments were further evidence of the Obama administration's growing frustration with conservative Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

news.yahoo.com...

We need to get the hell out of the middle east. We keep sending trillions to the middle east while the people in our own country suffer and we are bankrupting ourselves because of it!

Make sure to read the comments at the bottom of the link. This has far more to do with religion than anything else.

I don't know how many comments I read about "God chose the Jews" and the bible says this/that.

I don't want this nonsense. I want out of it and I'm tired of people trying to pull us into it.

Everyone needs to freakin leave each other alone.

Well no #...may this be the wakeup call for americans...

I am an enthusiastic Israel supporter.

Except on this issue.

As long as Israel keeps building on Arab lands there will be no peace.

Each side believes they are entitled to the other's territory.

The Arabs must accept that Israel has a right to exist within its borders, and Israel must accept that it cannot just take the territory it believes God gave them if it already belongs to somebody else.

Very simple. But so hard to do, apparently.