**US President Barack Obama has said Israel’s approval of 900 extra housing units at a settlement in East Jerusalem could lead to a “dangerous” situation.**Mr Obama told Fox News that additional settlement construction made it harder for Israel to make peace in the region and “embitters the Palestinians”.
The settlement of Gilo has been built on land Israel captured in 1967.
The Palestinians have refused to attend peace talks until Israel stops building settlements on occupied territory.
The Israeli government disputes that East Jerusalem is occupied territory, and therefore refuses to include annexed areas as part of any accommodation of Mr Obama’s past calls for “restraint” in settlement construction.
“I think that additional settlement building does not contribute to Israel’s security”
US President Barack Obama
Nearly 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built on occupied territory since 1967. They are illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
In the interview with Fox News, Mr Obama stressed that Israel’s security was “a vital national interest to the United States”, but warned that its policies were complicating his administration’s efforts to revive the peace process.
“I think that additional settlement building does not contribute to Israel’s security, I think it makes it harder for them to make peace with their neighbours,” he said.
“I think it embitters the Palestinians in a way that could end up being very dangerous,” he added.
Israeli media said on Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had rejected a request from Mr Obama to freeze the work at Gilo.