Obama: Gilo construction does not make Israel safer, hampers U.S. peace efforts

[Turborama]

Source: Haaretz

U.S. President Barack Obama said yesterday a plan to build hundreds of home in East Jerusalem would complicate efforts by his administration to relaunch peace talks and embitter the Palestinians.

The government announced Tuesday it would green light the construction of 900 homes in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo, drawing international condemnation.

Obama told Fox News in an interview Wednesday that additional settlement building doesn't make Israel safer. He said such moves make it harder to achieve peace in the region, and embitters the Palestinians in a dangerous way.

"The situation in the Middle East is very difficult, and I've said repeatedly and I'll say again, Israel's security is a vital national interest to the United States, and we will make sure they are secure," Obama said in the interview.

Obama and the Palestinians have demanded that Israel halt settlement construction.

Read more: http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasen/spages/1129206.html

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Video clip of what he actually said: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O90dxPWO9iA