U.S. envoy to Israel says Washington is "concerned" over West Bank settlements

The U.S. ambassador to Israel criticized Monday Israel's settlement building in the West Bank, charging it raises concerns about Israel's intentions of achieving peace with the Palestinians.

Ambassador Daniel Shapiro said Washington is "concerned and perplexed" over Israel's government support for the expansion of the Jewish settlements in the West Bank, a policy "which raises questions about Israeli intentions."

Shapiro spoke at the annual conference of the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, a prominent Israeli think tank.

Noting that Israel stated its support for establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel, Shapiro said this prospect becomes increasingly difficult to achieve due to the expansion of the settlements.

The U.S. envoy also accused Israel of turning a blind eye to settlers' violence against Palestinians, saying the Jewish state employs two sets of rules for Israelis and Palestinians.

"Too much Israeli vigilantism in the West Bank goes on unchecked," Shapiro said, adding that too often Israel fails to investigate thoroughly cases of violence against Palestinians.

"At times it seems Israel has two standards of adherence to the rule of law in the West Bank - one for Jews and one for Palestinians," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted almost instantly, rejecting the allegations on double standards. He blamed the Palestinian National Authority for political deadlock, charging the Palestinians "incite and refuse negotiations."

The settlements have been constructed on lands which Israel seized in the 1967 Mideast and has been controlling ever since. The settlements are illegal under international law and the international community opposes them, saying their expansion undermines prospects of establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Endit