The Biden Administration recently sent a "quiet message" to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett asking him to suspend settlement construction in Judea and Samaria, Walla News reported Wednesday.
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According to the report, as the issue of the settlement enterprise could potentially strain relations between Jerusalem and Washington, both the White House and the Prime Minister's Office are trying to reach understandings on the issue through back channels.
Israel National News said that last week, US Chargé D'affaires in Jerusalem Michael Ratney called senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office and informed them that the Biden administration would like to see "restraint or reduction" with respect to the planning and execution of new settlement construction projects.
Ratney also reportedly "expressed concern" over construction in the E1 area. The latter, which stretches across 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) east of the Jerusalem municipal boundary, between Jerusalem and Maaleh Adumim, has been the focus of conservancy, as the Palestinians claim it is essential for their future state.
Both news outlets noted that in the six weeks since Bennett met with Biden at the White House, the Civil Administration's Planning Committee, which oversees zoning and construction plans in Judea and Samaria, has not convened, nor has a future date been set for it to do so.
A senior Israeli official told INN that "there is a great deal of sensitivity at the moment with the Americans when it comes to settlements. That is why the promotion of new construction is delayed."
Yesha Council chairman David Elhayani denounced the move.
"The Biden Administration should not interfere in the internal affairs of the State of Israel. President Biden knows that damage to settlement building in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley means the fall of the current government," he said in a statement.
"We will not tolerate this gross American intervention, and we will not give up on the continuation of construction as it has been in recent years. We expect Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to reject this demand outright."
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