HAARETZ: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday criticized Israel for the eviction two Palestinian families from an Arab neighborhood in east Jerusalem, calling the move "deeply regrettable".
"The eviction of families and demolition of homes in east Jerusalem is not in keeping with Israeli obligations and I urge the government of Israel and municipal officials to refrain from such provocative actions," Clinton said.
The evictions came after the Supreme Court ruled that the houses belonged to Jews and that the Arab families had been living there illegally. Clinton's statements came during a meeting in Washington with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, who told Clinton that incremental confidence-building measures that the U.S. wants Arab states to take will not produce a resolution to the conflict.
Jordan rejects U.S. call for improved ties with Israel
Jordan on Monday joined Saudi Arabia in publicly rejecting U.S. appeals to improve relations with Israel to help restart Middle East peace talks, throwing a damper on the Obama administration's push for Arab support behind new negotiations. >>> Natasha Mozgovaya, Barak Ravid Haaretz Correspondents, and The Associated Press | Tuesday, August 04, 2009 Hillary Clinton
