US condemns new Israeli settlement plan

The White House on Friday condemned Israeli plans to build 450 new settler homes in the West Bank as "illegitimate and counterproductive" to achieving peace. "We have deep concerns about these highly contentious settlement construction announcements," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. President Barack Obama's administration has been irked by Netanyahu's acceptance of an invitation to address Congress on Iran in early March. The White House has called the spee