JERUSALEM — A Jerusalem planning committee approved the construction of nearly 200 housing units in an eastern Jerusalem neighborhood, spurring criticism from the U.S. State Department.

Asked about Wednesday’s approval of the 181 homes in Gilo, a Jerusalem suburb with a population of 40,000, a State Department spokesman condemned it as “corrosive to the cause of peace” and said it was a “steady and systemic acceleration of Israeli settlement activity.”

The housing units, which are located beyond Israel’s 1967 borders, or the Green Line, were approved initially in 2012 — among hundreds of housing units permitted in Gilo in recent years. Wednesday’s approval was to iron out the “technical details” of building permits, according to reports.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The State Department spokesman, John Kirby, said the U.S. was “deeply concerned” by the reports of the new housing and five community center infrastructure projects in Gilo.

“Our policy on settlements, as I said before, is very clear. We strongly oppose settlement activity, which we believe is corrosive to the cause of peace,” Kirby told reporters at a briefing.

“These decisions by Israeli authorities are just the latest examples of what appear to be a steady and systemic acceleration of Israeli settlement activity. These actions risk entrenching a one-state reality and raise serious questions about Israel’s ultimate commitment to a peaceful negotiated settlement with the Palestinians.”

Asked if there was any practical impact to U.S. objection to the plans, Kirby retreated, saying the administration is having “internal discussions” on the issue that he could not disclose.

“What I would just say is right now we are focused on encouraging all sides to demonstrate with policies and actions a genuine commitment to a two-state solution,” he said. “I think I’ll leave it at that.”

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount