Israeli PM vows to continue building in Jerusalem despite tensions with U.S.

"In the past 40 years, there was no government that limited construction in any Jerusalem area or neighborhood," Netanyahu said in the Israeli parliament, while claiming that "building Jewish neighborhoods did not hurt Jerusalem's Arab residents and was not at their expense."

With regard to the Jewish settlements in the West Bank, Netanyahu told other lawmakers from his rightist Likud party that construction will resume upon the expiration of the 10-month moratorium his administration announced in late November on new construction projects in West Bank settlements.

"Construction in Jerusalem, and anywhere else, will continue as has been the custom during the past 42 years" since the Jewish state captured in the 1967 Middle East war East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, said Netanyahu.

These comments came amid simmering tensions between the Jewish state and its most important ally, the United States, triggered by an Israeli plan to build 1,600 new housing units at a Jewish neighborhood in East Jerusalem, the Arab-dominated section of the holy city the Palestinians claim to be the capital of their future state, Kazinform refers to Xinhuanet.

See www.xinhuanet.com