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March 17, 2010

Rejecting US Criticism, Israel Announces New Settlement Construction
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The clashes occurred as the Israeli government announced another new
settlement expansion—over 300 homes in the East Jerusalem settlement of
Neve Yaakov. This follows the 1,600 new settler homes announced last
week during a visit from Vice President Joe Biden. On Tuesday, the
Israeli government again rejected US calls to cancel the project, saying
settlement construction would proceed “business as usual.” The Obama
administration has canceled a visit from Middle East envoy George
Mitchell in protest of the building. But in Washington, Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton backed off from earlier criticism, calling
US-Israel ties “unshakable.”

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: “We have an absolute commitment to
Israel’s security. We have a close unshakable bond between the United
States and Israel and between the American Israeli people. We share
common values and a commitment to a democratic future for the world, and
we are both committed to a two-state solution. But that doesn’t mean
that we’re going to agree.”



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