Fourteen council members sharply condemned Israel’s building plan in the E-1 area and construction of 3,000 housing units in the West Bank and Jerusalem. The US blocked a joint presidential statement of condemnation and a council resolution.
Earlier, the US State Department spokeswoman called Israel’s construction plans “deeply disappointing,” "provocative" and “counter to the cause of peace.” Binyamin Netanyahu has often declared that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the state of Israel and “we will continue to build there.”