And the war of words begin. After Prime Minister Netanyahu lashed out at the White house on CBS’s “Face the Nation,”, calling the criticism UN-American, Press secretary Josh Earnest subsequently offered a rebuttal.

“It did seem odd for him to try to defend the actions of his government by saying our response did not reflect American values,” Earnest said.

“When it comes to American values, it’s American values that led to this country’s unwavering support of Israel. It’s American values that have led us to fund an Iron Dome system,” he added.

The issue centers on last week’s final go-ahead in Jerusalem for construction of 2,610 housing units in Givat Hamatos, in southern Jerusalem.

In an interview broadcast Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Netanyahu said he does not accept restrictions on where Jews could live, and said that Jerusalem’s Arabs and Jews should be able to buy homes wherever they want.

He said he was “baffled” by the American condemnation. “It’s against the American values. And it doesn’t bode well for peace,” he said. “The idea that we’d have this ethnic purification as a condition for peace, I think it’s anti-peace.”

(Yitzchok Begin – YWN)