The Israeli government has approved yet another settlement expansion in occupied East Jerusalem, just as President Obama hosted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. On Tuesday, Israeli officials said they’ve issued construction permits for building in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. The Obama administration had asked Israel to cancel the project when it was unveiled last year. The announcement came hours before Netanyahu and Obama held their first meeting since Israel declared it would build 1,600 new homes in an East Jerusalem settlement earlier this month. In a rare move, news coverage was barred of the White House meeting, and neither side made public statements.