WASHINGTON — For President Obama, the news on Friday that Israel is planning to construct Jewish settlements in a geographically sensitive area east of Jerusalem came as a rude shock.

But maybe it should not have: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has announced settlement construction at inopportune moments ever since Mr. Obama took office in 2009.

In March 2010, Israel approved plans for new housing during a visit by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. That November, it announced 1,000 units of housing just as Mr. Obama was trying to restart talks between Israel and the Palestinians. In April 2011, it approved housing on the eve of a meeting between Mr. Obama and President Shimon Peres. This time, Israel’s latest construction announcement came a day after the Palestinian Authority’s victory in obtaining enhanced status from the United Nations General Assembly, a bid that the United States stood with Israel in opposing. While the pattern may be the same, Middle East experts say, the fallout may be far greater this time.

“This is not just another few houses in Jerusalem or another hilltop in the West Bank,” said Daniel C. Kurtzer, a former American ambassador to Israel and Egypt. “This is one of the most sensitive areas of territory, and I would hope the United States will lay down the law.”