by Yuan Zhenyu, Hao Fangjia
JERUSALEM, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the U.S. demand of a complete settlement construction freeze in East Jerusalem, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, while Israeli news service Ynet quoted sources within the Israeli government to back the American report.
However, it was not confirmed by Mark Regev, spokesman for Netanyahu. "I can only reiterated what the prime minister said during the interview with ABC (American Broadcast Company) a few days ago," Regev told Xinhua on Thursday.
According to him, during an interview with the ABC, Netanyahu once again asserted the Jewish state's stand on Jerusalem, describing building freeze as "an unacceptable demand."
The rejection report came amid mixed information from the United States.
U.S. National Security Adviser James Jones said Wednesday that U.S. President Barack Obama's administration was disappointed by the current situation of peace process, that the Israeli- Palestinian indirect talks is still on hold.
Meanwhile, the top security adviser of Obama reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Israel's security, "The United States will never waver in defense of Israel."
Although not confirmed by Israeli officials, the rebuff brought about diverse reactions within the country. Some law makers showed support for the move, saying it expressed a "broad national agreement" among the public, while others were worried about the prospect that it would deepen the Israel-U.S. disagreement.
For over a month, Netanyahu, together with his government ministers, has been pondering over how to respond to the demands from Obama administration that Israel push forward the Israeli- Palestinian peace process by taking several goodwill gestures, topped by a building freeze in East Jerusalem.
The United States made these requests after Israeli government gave greenlight to a 1,600 housing unit program in East Jerusalem during U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's Middle East tour last month.
The scheme threatened to derail the U.S.-brokered indirect Israeli-Palestinian proximity talks and draw severe criticism from the Obama administration, whose peace efforts were embarrassed by Israeli government's decision.
Despite repeated calls from Obama and senior American officials that Israel reverse the plan and halt construction in East Jerusalem, Netanyahu's government has not shown any intention of implementing a building freeze there.
It was widely believed that Obama brought forward the request personally during his meeting with Netanyahu in Washington last month.
However, the Israeli prime minister denied during the ABC interview that Obama intended to press Israel on that issue during their talks, saying the two countries were trying to resolve it through diplomatic channels.
Since Israel captured East Jerusalem, along with the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, during the 1967 Six Day War, the controversial section of the holy city has long been in the forefront of the intractable Mideast feud.
The Jewish state claims the whole Jerusalem as its indivisible capital and has for decades refused to make concessions on this subject, although the international community, including the United States, does not recognize its unilateral annexation of the eastern part.
The Palestinians, who view East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, have been demanding a full freeze of construction there, and made it a prerequisite for relaunching peace talks.
