British PM calls Israeli settlement building 'genuinely shocking'

Fielding questions in parliament, British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday criticized what he called Israel’s "encirclement" of east Jerusalem and said it was "genuinely shocking."

Asked by an opposition lawmaker whether “illegal settlements and constructions are a major roadblock that hinder peaceful negotiations” between Israel and the Palestinians, and what the UK government would do to stop it, Cameron said he was a “well known as a strong friend of Israel” but he was in disagreement with its policies on Jerusalem.

He told the House of Commons that during his first visit to Israel’s capital he had seen “what has happened with the effective encirclement of East Jerusalem, occupied East Jerusalem, and it is genuinely shocking.”

While his Conservative government was supportive of Israel, "we do not support illegal settlements, and we do not support what is happening in East Jerusalem," said Cameron.