As Obama delivered a major address on the Middle East Thursday, the Israeli government also unveiled a plan to build more than 1,500 new homes on two settlements around East Jerusalem. Israeli lawmaker, Arieh Eldad, said he hopes the settlements send a message to the White House.
Arieh Eldad: “I hope that the message that goes through the approval of 1,500 units of building in Jerusalem sends a clear message to the American administration. I hope that the new building of new settlements next week will send a similar message.”
In his address, President Obama also unveiled new billion-dollar economic aid packages for Egypt and Tunisia and called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to lead a democratic transition or step down.