President Obama hosted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at the White House Tuesday. Much of the meeting focused on Israel and the Occupied Territories. Obama praised Israel for moving “in the right direction” on freezing settlement activity.

President Obama: “If all sides are willing to move off of the rut that we’re in currently, then I think there is an extraordinary opportunity to make real progress. But we’re not there yet. I’m encouraged by some of the things that I’m seeing on the ground.”

The Israeli government claims it hasn’t issued any new settlement housing tenders since March. But the Israeli group Peace Now says Israel is still building around 1,000 new homes in the occupied West Bank.