Senior Advisor and Spokesperson Edgar Vasquez of the United States State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs told Yedioth Ahronoth on Monday that the US is grateful to non-governmental organizations like B'Tselem and American Friends of Peace Now for bringing up matters like Israel's presence beyond the 1949 Armistice Line.
Saying he would not comment on the groups' anti-government remarks at a Friday UN session on that presence, Vasquez said the US was grateful to such groups for keeping them informed about such issues. Repeating American opposition to that presence, he also said it was important to protect the groups' freedom of expression.