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Netanyahu's Office: No Change on East Jerusalem Plans

   VOA News 26 March 2010

   The  office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel's
   position  on construction in East Jerusalem is unchanged after a visit
   to Washington for talks on the peace process.
   Mr.  Netanyahu's office made the statement on Friday, before a planned
   cabinet  meeting  to  discuss  the  U.S.-proposed gestures intended to
   revive negotiations with the Palestinians.
   Senior leaders of Mr. Netanyahu's ruling coalition are rallying behind
   the  prime  minister  and his insistence that Israel continue building
   settlements.
   U.S. officials want Israel to freeze a plan to build 1,600 new settler
   homes  in  East  Jerusalem,  which  the Palestinians claim as a future
   capital.   Mr.  Netanyahu  reiterated in Washington that Israel views
   all of Jerusalem as its capital, not a settlement.
   Before  departing  Washington  Thursday,  Mr.  Netanyahu  said the two
   allies had made some progress in settling their dispute.  White House
   spokesman  Robert Gibbs also noted progress but said there was nothing
   more on substance to report.
   An  aide  to  Palestinian  President Mahmoud Abbas, Nabil Abu Rdainah,
   said  Thursday  that  there  has  been no progress in trying to resume
   indirect Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
   The  White House has said the housing plan undermines the negotiations
   the  U.S.  has  offered to mediate.  Mr. Obama asked Mr. Netanyahu to
   take steps to build confidence for the peace talks.
   Separately Thursday, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said tensions
   in the Middle East are hurting U.S. interests in the region.
   Jordanian  King Abdullah warned Israel on Thursday that it is "playing
   with fire" by authorizing new construction in East Jerusalem.  Iran's
   foreign ministry responded to the building plans by labeling Israel an
   aggressive, terrorist state.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

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