Rice urges Israel to halt new settlement

United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Israel not to complicate the path to peace with the Palestinians through new Jewish settlements just as the date approaches for Israelis to fulfil a promise to leave other, established settlements.

“We don’t intend that the Israelis try to create facts on the ground,” Rice told reporters travelling on the plane with her to Jerusalem. “They simply cannot engage in activities that are supposed to prejudge” the final terms of a peace settlement.