US slams Israel's decision to expand settlements

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Marko Djurica / ReutersA masked Palestinian protester uses a sling to throw a stone at Israeli security officers (unseen) during clashes at a protest against Jewish settlements, in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah on Nov. 30.By NBC News wire servicesThe White House  and the State Department said on Friday a new Israeli settlement expansion plan  was "counterproductive" and could make it harder to bring Israel and the  Palestinians back to the negotiating table.

Follow @NBCNewsWorld  "We reiterate our  longstanding opposition to settlements and East Jerusalem construction  and announcements," White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland reiterated this position, adding: "We're going to be evenhanded in our concern about any actions that are provocative, any actions that make it harder to get these two parties back to the table."

Israel  plans to build thousands of new homes for its settlers in the occupied  West Bank and East Jerusalem, an Israeli official said earlier, defying a  U.N. vote that implicitly recognized Palestinian statehood there.

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