Speaking during a visit to Brazil, Secretary of State John Kerry insisted the ongoing settlement expansion doesn’t threaten the prospects of reaching a peace deal.

Secretary of State John Kerry: “The policy of the United States of America with respect to all settlements is that they are illegitimate, and we oppose settlements taking place at any time, not just the time of the peace process. But, here’s the 'but,' that said, Prime Minster Netanyahu was completely upfront with me and with President Abbas that he would be announcing some additional building that would take place in places that will not affect the peace map.”