US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu his government has sent a 'deeply negative signal' by taking steps that undermined renewed Middle East peace talks.
Mrs Clinton telephoned Mr Netanyahu and expressed frustration over Israel's announcement of new settlement construction.
During an interview in New York with CNN, Mrs Clinton said the developments did not put the US-Israeli relationship at risk, calling it 'durable and strong'.
But Mrs Clinton, using unusually harsh language, added, 'the announcement of the settlements on the very day that the vice president was there was insulting.'
State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said Mrs Clinton told Mr Netanyahu the announcement was a 'deeply negative signal about Israel's approach to the bilateral relationship ... and had undermined trust and confidence in the peace process.'
'The secretary said she could not understand how this happened, particularly in light of the United States' strong commitment to Israel's security,' Mr Crowley said.
'She made clear that the Israeli government needed to demonstrate not just through words but through specific actions that they are committed to this relationship and to the peace process,' he said.
The 'quartet' of Middle East peace mediators, the US, the EU, the UN and Russia, issued its own condemnation of the settlement plan and said it would assess the situation at a previously scheduled meeting in Moscow next week.
Mrs Clinton, speaking in New York during talks with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said the Moscow meeting would be an opportunity 'to take stock of the progress that has been made in moving toward relaunching negotiations'.
