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WASHINGTON, March 14 (Xinhua) -- A senior adviser to President Barack Obama on Sunday criticized Israel's plan to build more homes in East Jerusalem of undermining peace process.
"This was an affront, it was an insult but most importantly it undermined this very fragile effort to bring peace to that region, " David Axelrod told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday.
"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.
The Obama administration has been very angry over the Israeli government's approval of 1,600 homes in East Jerusalem on Tuesday when Vice President Joe Biden was pushing both Israel and the Palestinians to resume peace talks.
Both Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton have condemned the Israeli move, with Clinton describing it as "a deeply negative signal" about Israel's approach to relations with Washington.
The Obama administration has been exerting pressure on the Israeli government and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to resume talks so that the two sides could reach a permanent peace agreement that leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within two years.
PNA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas insists that the talks would not be resumed until the Israeli government totally freezes the Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank, while the Israeli side accuses the PNA of setting precondition for the peace talks and claims to ensure the "natural growth" of the Jewish settlements.
After Israel's announcement to build more homes in East Jerusalem, the PNA decided to suspend the indirect talks with Israel, which was brokered by U. S. special envoy George Mitchell following tough shuttle mediation between Israel and the Palestinians.