Tzipi Livni echoed U.S. criticism of Israel’s plan to build new homes in a settlement near Jerusalem.
In a speech Wednesday at Harvard University, the Israeli foreign minister discussed the Givat Ze’ev construction project, which has drawn charges from the Palestinian Authority that the Olmert government is not serious about U.S.-sponsored peace negotiations.
“Basically I don’t think that it helps,” Livni said. “We decided to stop settlement activities.”
Earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice described as “unhelpful” the plan to build 750 new homes in Givat Ze’ev, a suburb of Jerusalem on West Bank land.
Israel has said it will annex major settlement blocs around Jerusalem under any final peace accord.
