A US State Department spokesman has said that it is waiting for Israel to respond formally to the American demands about its commitment to peace talks with the Palestinians. This follows a diplomatic row over Israel's announcement that sixteen hundred new Jewish homes are to be built in Occupied East Jerusalem. The Israel Foreign Minister is reported to have boycotted events during a visit to Israel by the Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Mr. Lula's refusal to visit a Zionist Shrine angered some Israelis