Democratic US senator attacks Obama’s stance on Israel

The senior US senator from the state of New York, Charles Schumer (Dem.) has criticized the Obama administration’s handling of Israel over the housing announcement in east Jerusalem. President Obama should not have scolded Israel for approving 1,600 new housing units in the suburb of Ramat Shlomo, Schumer said. "What we disagree on is tactics. When the United States sets out conditions on Israel, the Palestinians then say we don't want to come to the table, [thinking] the United States is doing our negotiation for us."

Last week, Schumer had already voiced anger at the Obama administration for siding with the Palestinians. On a radio program he said: "You have to show Israel that it's not going to be forced to do things it doesn't want to do and can't do," he declared. He said he had told White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel weeks ago that he would take a public stand if the State Department did not back down from its “terrible” treatment of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “This has to stop,” Schumer said he had told the White House.

On Friday, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs responded to the senator, saying: "We don't agree with what Sen. Schumer said in those remarks.” He stressed: “We have an unwavering commitment to the security of Israel and the Israeli people. We have said that from the beginning of this administration.”