On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected U.S. demands to end the building of new houses in the settlements of East Jerusalem.
Relations between the two allies have become increasingly tense. Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Michael Oren, said on Monday that ties between the two countries were at their lowest point in 35 years, the BBC reported.
The announcement of the construction of 1,600 new housing units in disputed East Jerusalem came last week while U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was visiting Israel. A top aide to U.S. President Barack Obama called the announcement “destructive” to the peace efforts and an “insult” to the United States, BBC reported. Netanyahu has argued that the construction of the housing units posed no harm to Palestinians.
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