The United States may link its support for Israel on the international stage to a complete construction freeze in Jewish areas of Judea and Samaria. The plan to force Israel to freeze construction if it wants international backing was reported Sunday in the New York Times, which based its report on testimony from unnamed members of the Obama administration.

The plan would primarily affect support for Israel in the United Nations, where the U.S. has traditionally torpedoed anti-Israel initiatives and proposals placing disproportionate blame on Israel in conflicts with her neighbors.

The U.S. and Israel have disagreed over the subject of Jewish cities in Judea and Samaria under the Obama and Netanyahu administrations. Netanyahu insists that residents of existing communities must be allowed to build within city limits in order to house their growing families and married children, while Obama has insisted on a complete housing freeze, regardless of natural growth.

Obama has demanded that Israel halt construction even in cities such as Ariel, Efrat and Beitar, which most Israelis say should be kept as part of Israel under any future “land for peace” deal with the Palestinian Authority. Previous Israeli administrations have allowed for growth in majority-Jewish areas of Judea and Samaria, known as “settlement blocs,” even when Jews were forbidden to construct new towns.

U.S. officials clarified that Israel will remain “a critical United States ally” even if America decides to cut off support in the UN. U.S. loan guarantees to Israel will not be affected, they said.

American pressure on Israel regarding Jewish life in Judea and Samaria may be linked to Obama's upcoming speech in Cairo, analysts say. Obama is scheduled to give a historic address to the Muslim world from Egypt on Thursday.