The White House called on Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney to explain recent remarks including his apparent endorsement of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a position that counters US policy.

Romney, in the midst of a three-nation tour, gave a speech on Sunday in Jerusalem where he hailed the city as "the capital of Israel," in apparent support of a position held by the Jewish state but never accepted by the global community.

But after Romney made fresh controversial statements on Monday to donors in Jerusalem including suggesting Israeli "culture" helped explain the country's economic success -- a position Erakat denounced as "racist" -- President Barack Obama's office urged Romney to clarify his comments.