Washington: Occupied Jerusalem's mayor on Tuesday denied any formal or informal freeze in Jewish housing construction in the traditionally Arab eastern part of the city, in comments that may complicate the Obama administration's attempts to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
Mayor Nir Barkat told reporters in Washington that reports of a de facto halt to building Jewish homes in Occupied east Jerusalem were wrong.
He said construction will continue after a temporary slowdown in approvals caused by Israeli shock at US criticism of plans for new homes there announced last month during a visit by Vice President Joe Biden.
He also said he could not accept Palestinian control of any portion of the city, likening such a move to putting an Arab "Trojan horse" into the middle of a predominantly Jewish community.
Palestinians claim Occupied east Jerusalem as the capital of a future state and Barkat's tough stance is likely to cause anger throughout the Arab world.
His comments came a day after local officials in Occupied Jerusalem said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had effectively frozen new Jewish construction in east Jerusalem in an apparent bid to ease US-Israeli tension sparked by the March housing announcement and boost chances for starting indirect talks between the two sides.
Netanyahu has not commented publicly on the claims but Barkat denied them.
"There is no freeze," the mayor said at a dinner organized by the pro-Israel group The Israel Project after talks with US lawmakers on Capitol Hill. "It's not true."
