US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has criticised moves by Israel to allow the building of 3,000 settler homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Talking at a forum in Washington, in front of Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Clinton said that negotiations with Israel are the only way to a separate state for the Palestinians.
She added that the UN vote, granting Palestine non-member observer status, “should give all of us pause. All sides need to consider carefully the path ahead".
The UK also expressed “extreme concern” at the decision.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said that the UK “strongly advises the Israeli government to reverse this decision".