JERUSALEM – Vice President Biden on Thursday tried to assure Israelis that the United States is “determined” to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and urged Arab states to take steps toward peace with Israel.

Biden drew a link between the effort to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions and that of trying to push forward peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

“They are connected indirectly, but there is a relationship,” Biden said in a speech at Tel Aviv University.

Beyond reaffirming U.S. support for Israel’s security, Biden told Israelis that “the status quo is not sustainable” in terms of the conflict with the Palestinians and pressed Israel to make a peace deal with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

Rhetorically asking, “who has there been better to date,” Biden said Israel should act while it still has partners who share the goal of a two-state solution.

Before Biden took to the lectern, he welcomed a statement released by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office that stressed that construction of 1,600 homes in a disputed area of Jerusalem would not begin for at least a year.

The announcement Tuesday of building in Ramat Shlomo overshadowed Biden’s trip, meant originally as a celebration of the U.S.-Israel alliance and friendship. It caused the Palestinians to balk at returning to U.S.-mediated negotiations on a final peace deal between the sides.

The approval of new housing forced Biden to condemn Israel. He made clear that the decision to do so was made in consultation with President Obama.

Netanyahu stressed that final approval for the construction project wouldn’t be given for a year but noted that it would not be canceled.

Biden hoped that would be enough to salvage indirect negotiations that would eventually deal with the future of Jerusalem. But the Palestinians said Thursday that they wanted the project revoked before talks could begin.