President Barak Obama’s National Security Advisor, Susan Rice, gave a speech Thursday at the Middle East Institute think tank in Washington DC in which she lamented the recent uptick in tension and violent incidents between Israelis and Palestinians, saying “some of this is a result of recent settlement announcements. So let me reiterate: The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity.” The remarks once again highlighted differences between the Obama Administration and the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which have also been on display in recent days regarding approaches to solving the crisis over Iran’s renegade nuclear program. Meanwhile, a poll released Thursday by Israel Radio showed the Israeli public backs largely supports Netanyahu in his row with Obama. Read More
