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Israel today approved hundreds of new housing units in Jewish West Bank settlements. The move goes against President Obama’s call for a settlement freeze. The World’s Matthew Bell has more.

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MARCO WERMAN: Israel today announced approval of some 450 new housing units in the occupied West Bank. The move defies a call from the Obama administration to freeze all building activities in the settlements. Palestinian officials say today’s action shows that the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t serious about restarting the peace process. The World’s Matthew Bell has more.

MATTHEW BELL: These are the first official new housing authorizations for the Netanyahu government that came into office back in March. Most of the new construction, approved today, is in areas close to Israel but permission has also been given to build in the Jordan Valley – that’s an area many see as vital to a future state of Palestine. The standoff over settlements between the US and Israel is about four months old now. Back in May Secretary of State Hilary Clinton explained in especially clear language where the administration stood on Israeli settlements.

HILARY CLINTON: We think it is in the best interest of the effort that we are engaged in that settlement expansion cease. That is our position. That is what we have communicated very clearly not only to the Israelis but to the Palestinians and others. And we intend to press that point.

BELL: If that was the line for the Obama Administration the Israelis just crossed it and the Palestinians are crying foul. Ghassan Khatib directs the Government Media Center of the Palestinian Authority. He says today’s announcement by Israel is a blow to President Obama’s stated goal of reviving the peace process and ending what he calls the Israeli occupation of large parts of the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

GHASSAN KHATIB: How can we go to negotiations about ending the occupation while at the same time one party to negations is busy consolidating this occupation by expanding illegal settlements there?

BELL: Khatib says President Obama is about to lose what little credibility he had among Palestinians in the region. Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is even less trusted in the Arab world. But Netanyahu has been under pressure from right-wing members of his own government who support the settlements. David Makovsky is the author of “Myths, Illusions, and Peace.” He says Netanyahu is trying to throw a political bone to the right wing by approving new settlement housing. At the same time Makovsky says Netanyahu wants to please Washington and he appears ready to impose a moratorium on further settlement growth.

DAVID MAKOVSKY: This is his way saying – squaring the circle – telling the Obama Administration I will do what you want on an overall freeze but before I do what you want with an overall freeze I will symbolically announce a few units to people who are largely his voters which he sees will be part of Israel anyway in the ultimate peace agreement with the Palestinians.

BELL: If the Obama Administration was taken by surprise with today’s announcement it’s not showing much fury. The White House has issued a statement saying it regrets Israel’s decision to approve new settlement housing. US Special Envoy George Mitchell is scheduled to return the Middle East later this week. There’s an expectation that he will be trying to arrange a three-way summit between President Obama, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, for later this month at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. For The World I’m Matthew Bell.

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