The White House said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks that American criticism of Israeli construction in East Jerusalem was against American values, “did seem odd.”
In an interview on CBS, Netanyahu dismissed a recent U.S. rebuke of Israeli construction in East Jerusalem, saying such criticism goe.s “against American values”.
Defenfing the U.S. policy towards Israel, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters at his daily briefing on Monday : ‘’It did seem odd for him to defend Israel's position by saying US position is un-American.’’
"The fact is, when it comes to American values, it’s American values that lend this country’s unwavering support to Israel. It's American values that have led us to fight for and secure funding to strengthen Israel's security in tangible ways,’" Earnest said.
He said it was U.S. funding for Israel's "Iron Dome" system that has prevented Hamas rockets from hitting their targets. "It's American values that have led us to fund and build an Iron Dome system that protected the lives of countless innocent Israeli citizens," he said.
Las week, the White House and U.S. State Department warned that Israel's decision to move ahead with the planning process of 2,600 new housing units in Jerusalem's Givat Hamatos neighborhood, and the recent occupation of some 25 apartments in Silwan, located near the Old City in Jerusalem, would distance Israel from “even its closest allies” and raise questions about its commitment to seeking peace with Palestinians.
"I don’t understand that criticism and I can't accept that position," Netanyahu said.
‘’It is better to know the material before deciding to take such a stance," he responded to the White House statement.
"Arabs in Jerusalem are free to purchase apartments in the western [part of the] city and no one is arguing against it," Netanyahu said. "I have no intention of telling Jews they can't buy apartments in East Jerusalem. This is private property and an individual right. There cannot be discrimination – not against Jews and not against Arabs," he added. "This goes against values that the United States also believes in."
Netanyahu said that those who moved into the apartments in Silwan did so as private citizens and not as part of a government plan. Buying a house was a fundamental right, he said, adding that he will not allow for it to change. "Every person is entitled to private property. No one stole those houses or confiscated the property. Arabs are selling houses to Jews and Jews are selling houses to Arabs."
In the interview broadcast on CBS's "Face the Nation," Netanyahu said he does not accept restrictions on where Jews could live, and said that Jerusalem's Arabs and Jews should be able to buy homes wherever they want.
He said he was "baffled" by the American condemnation. "It's against the American values. And it doesn't bode well for peace," he repeated. "The idea that we'd have this ethnic purification as a condition for peace, I think it's anti-peace."