Israel refuses to stop settlement push

JERUSALEM, April 23 (UPI) -- Israel again rejected U.S. calls to halt settlement expansion in occupied East Jerusalem.

"I am saying one thing: There will be no freeze in Jerusalem," Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told Israel's Channel 2 TV. "There should be no preconditions to talks (with the Palestinians)."

Palestinians pulled out from scheduled indirect peace talks with Israel after Israeli officials announced Israel would build 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem.

The move drew significant ire from the United States, which repeatedly called on Jerusalem to stop settlement expansion.

Netanyahu has since ordered a 10-month stop in permits for new homes in the West Bank, a policy that doesn't include East Jerusalem.

His comments come as U.S. Middle East Envoy George Mitchell arrived in the region for talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials.