Sen. Dianne Feinstein Friday backed President Barack Obama's decision to abstain from a vote by the U.N. Security Council condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem because the move "sends a strong message that the United States still supports a two-state solution.

"Ending settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is an absolute necessity if we're ever to achieve a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians," the California Democrat said.

"I’ve watched with growing concern the increase in Israeli settlements over the years, where approximately 400,000 individuals now live," she added. "I believe the expansion of settlements has but one goal: to undermine the viability of a two-state solution."

Feinstein, the fourth-term senator, also called for an end to further settlements in the region.

"I’ve met with displaced Palestinian families who have been kicked off land they’ve lived on for many generations," she said. "The ill will that results from these settlements is a significant roadblock to peace — and I again call on Israel to end their expansion so that a two-state solution remains a possibility."