U.S.-Israel tiff

Tensions are high between the United States and Israel after Vice President Joe Biden's visit to the Mideast last week.

The vice president traveled to the region to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. But while he was there, Israel announced a plan to build 1,600 new housing units on contested land in East Jerusalem.

That ran counter to the U.S. mission to restart peace negotiations between the two parties. It also embarrassed Mr. Biden and jeopardized talks the United States is trying to arrange.

The Obama administration had asked for a halt of such projects in the West Bank and Palestinian leaders said they would not negotiate until a freeze on such settlements was observed.

Mr. Biden criticized the announcement and the project. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called the move a "deeply negative signal" for Mideast peacemaking and U.S.-Israeli ties. She registered U.S. complaints in a 43-minute phone talk with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

David Axelrod, President Obama's senior adviser, kept up the pressure Sunday, calling Israel's announcement "destructive" and "an affront."

Mr. Netanyahu has tried to downplay this. "I recommend not to get carried away and to calm down," he said at a cabinet meeting. "Israel and the U.S. have mutual interests. But we will act according to the vital interests of the state of Israel."

He is caught between the right-wing members of his coalition who approve the new construction and the left and moderate politicians who believe he is jeopardizing the relationship with the United States.

Palestinians threaten to cancel talks if the project is not shelved. George J. Mitchell, U.S. Middle East envoy, is due in the region this week to restart peace negotiations. Chances for that are slim, but he is a skilled mediator.