Minister of Intelligence Dan Meridor said Tuesday that the U.S.’s insistence that Israel cease construction in Judea and Samaria puts its credibility in question. He pointed out that the previous U.S. administration had reached understandings with Israel as to what could and could not be built in the area.

The U.S.’s opposition “is a process that may undermine the credibility of Washington,” Meridor said. If the U.S. will not accept Israel’s right to build “it would raise questions about the legality of any future deals,” he added.