"What would it look like if someone told the US administration that it had no authority to develop Washington," Deputy Prime Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) told Ynet on Sunday following harsh statements made by visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice against construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
An outraged Yishai said Israel's sovereignty over Jerusalem was no different than American's over Washington D.C.
Any attempt to smother development efforts had no legitimacy, said Yishai. "Any construction in Israel is legal, and policy rhetoric hasn't the power to turn entire communities and regions into something imaginary," he said.
"There is no different between outer Jerusalem and outer Tel Aviv."
Minister Yitzhak Cohen, a fellow member of the National Security Cabinet along with Yishai, also slammed Rice's remarks.
"Those who today are trying to limit construction around Jerusalem aspire to one day limit construction in the very heart of Jerusalem," he told Ynet.
In Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's own party, Kadima, MK Otniel Schneller said Israel "must not capitulate to the criticism voiced by the American Secretary of State against construction in Jerusalem and the settlement blocs."
Rice criticism, said Schneller, was the true obstacle in the talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
Amnon Meranda contributed to this report
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