JERUSALEM — Israel’s prime minister expressed regret Sunday for a crisis with the United States over plans to expand a Jewish neighborhood in east Jerusalem, even as American officials played down the apology and called for bold Israeli action to get peace efforts back on track.
With tensions rising, Israel deployed hundreds of police around east Jerusalem’s Old City and heavily restricted Palestinian access to the area.
Israel’s already-strained relationship with the U.S. hit a new low last week when the Jewish state announced plans during a visit by Vice President Joe Biden to build 1,600 homes for Israelis in east Jerusalem, which Palestinians claim as their capital.
The announcement embarrassed Biden, who quickly condemned the plan, and cast a shadow over upcoming U.S.-mediated peace talks.
In his first public comments on the matter, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his Cabinet on Sunday that he was sorry about the diplomatic fiasco and had ordered an investigation into the incident. Netanyahu has said he had no prior knowledge.
At the same time, he urged his Cabinet “to calm down” and gave no sign he would scrap the settlement plan.
