(03-12) 09:50 PST WASHINGTON, (AP) -- A senior U.S. official says Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to complain bluntly about Israel's announcement this week of new housing settlements in East Jerusalem.
The official said Clinton spoke with Netanyahu Friday "to deliver a very strong message with regard to events over the past week." She said that Israel is expected to take actions to improve the prospects for relaunching peace talks with the Palestinians. The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the call.
The Israeli announcement took the U.S. by surprise, and overshadowed a visit by Vice President Joe Biden, who condemned it. It also enraged Palestinians and Arab states, jeopardizing indirect peace talks to be mediated by U.S. envoy George Mitchell.