The Jordanian government on Wednesday condemned Israel's plan to build new 1,600 housing units in East Jerusalem, warning that the move would "torpedo" US efforts to arrange indirect peace talks with the Palestinians, dpa reported.
The building of settlements in East Jerusalem, which Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war, "is rejected universally because it runs counter to international law", Minister of State for Media Affairs Nabil Sharif said.
"Such measures are set to torpedo US efforts that seek to hold new round of negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis and endanger chances of establishing peace in the region," he told a press conference.
He said Jordan would urge American action to stop the Israeli unilateral measures "that threaten peace" during talks with US Vice President Joe Biden when he arrives in Amman Thursday.
Biden is scheduled to meet with King Abdullah II who is due to return to the Jordanian capital later in the day from Moscow where he held talks on the prospects of the Middle East peace process with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.