US: UN statements won't restart Israeli-Palestinian talks

The White House stressed that it hasn't joined a UN Security Council condemnation of Israeli settlement construction because it does not believe that Security Council declarations are the way to restart talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said that Israel knows Washington's position on the issue, and the best way to deal with the conflict is for the two sides to resume direct negotiations. (Yitzhak Benhorin, Washington)