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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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 Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 4:06 pm Post subject: Israel angers U.S. by approving new West Bank homes Module b |
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Israel angers U.S. by approving new West Bank homes Module body
1 hour, 6 minutes ago
By Ori Lewis
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JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel triggered a fresh rift with Washington over settlement building on Tuesday by approving the building of 900 homes for Jews on West Bank land it occupied in a 1967 war and annexed to its Jerusalem municipality.
The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth said U.S. President Barack Obama's envoy, George Mitchell, had asked an aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at a meeting in London on Monday, to block the proposed construction at the settlement of Gilo.
But a government planning commission approved the addition of 900 housing units at Gilo, where 40,000 Israelis already live.
The Israeli decision drew an unusually sharply worded rebuke from the White House, which said it was "dismayed" and accused Israel of undermining Obama's efforts to resume peace talks with Palestinians stalled since December.
"At a time when we are working to relaunch negotiations, these actions make it more difficult for our efforts to succeed," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said.
In his statement, Gibbs also said the United States objected to continued evictions and demolitions of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/091117/world/international_us_palestinians_israel_jerusalem |
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Hater Depot
Joined: 29 Mar 2005
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| Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Netanyahu to Obama: Drop Dead |
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mises
Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Location: retired
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| Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 4:40 pm Post subject: |
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| What's Obama going to do? Take a hard line and get called antisemitic? Maybe he could throw Rhambo in the ring. Though he's a dual citizen who served the IDF (as a civilian). And he studied dance, which I'll never understand.. Maybe not best there. Identity politics pollute public policy. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 5:12 pm Post subject: |
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| mises wrote: |
| What's Obama going to do? Take a hard line and get called antisemitic? Maybe he could throw Rhambo in the ring. Though he's a dual citizen who served the IDF (as a civilian). And he studied dance, which I'll never understand.. Maybe not best there. Identity politics pollute public policy. |
Rahm Emanuel did serve in the IDF in some capacity as you mentioned, but, yet, he can make pronouncements about Middle East policy regarding Israel and say to the Palestinians that they shouldn't use the fact that Netanyahu is not freezing settlement construction to stop talking to Israel.
His father was also in the Irgun. I somehow doubt an Arab American whose father was George Habash would ever be put near a president.
No one brought up that Emanuel didn't serve the U.S., his country, that he is serving now during Desert Storm. He served another country.
Israel signed on to the Road Map with Sharon, and it calls for a complete halt on settlement construction. Yitzak Shamir in the 1990s lied to Bush senior and said he would halt construction. Bush blew a gasket and actually did something about that for a while, at least. Incidentally, Martin Indyk, who used to work for the Clinton Administration, used to work for AIPAC. I believe Aaron David Miller, who is a moderate, and more of a guy you can rely on, said that America has acted as Israel's lawyer too many times.
http://www.commongroundnews.org/article.php?mode=8&id=751&sid=0
Middle East
Israel's Lawyer
by Aaron David Miller
27 May 2005 Print
Email
Washington, DC - I'm not a lawyer by training, but I know one when I see one. For far too long, many American officials involved in Arab-Israeli peacemaking, myself included, have acted as Israel's attorney, catering and coordinating with the Israelis at the expense of successful peace negotiations. If the United States wants to be an honest and effective broker on the Arab-Israeli issue, than surely it can have only one client: the pursuit of a solution that meets the needs and requirements of both sides.
The case for Israel-first advocacy is compelling. Israelis live in a dangerous neighbourhood; they have only one real friend and critically important security requirements that the United States is committed to furthering. Practically speaking, Israel sits on land the Arabs want, so without Israel's trust and confidence there can be no peace process.
Having worked for the past six secretaries of state on Arab-Israeli negotiations, I believe in the importance of a strong U.S.-Israeli relationship. Paradoxically, it is our intimacy with the Israelis that gives America -- only America -- the capacity to be an honest and effective broker. Arab governments have come to accept this reality. That is why -- even now -- when our credibility is so diminished in the region, they continue to press for U.S. engagement. |
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bacasper
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 11:47 am Post subject: |
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| Adventurer wrote: |
Rahm Emanuel did serve in the IDF in some capacity as you mentioned, but, yet, he can make pronouncements about Middle East policy regarding Israel and say to the Palestinians that they shouldn't use the fact that Netanyahu is not freezing settlement construction to stop talking to Israel.
His father was also in the Irgun. I somehow doubt an Arab American whose father was George Habash would ever be put near a president.
No one brought up that Emanuel didn't serve the U.S., his country, that he is serving now during Desert Storm. He served another country.
Israel signed on to the Road Map with Sharon, and it calls for a complete halt on settlement construction. Yitzak Shamir in the 1990s lied to Bush senior and said he would halt construction. Bush blew a gasket and actually did something about that for a while, at least. Incidentally, Martin Indyk, who used to work for the Clinton Administration, used to work for AIPAC. I believe Aaron David Miller, who is a moderate, and more of a guy you can rely on, said that America has acted as Israel's lawyer too many times. |
The documentary Missing Links best puts this issue in perspective. |
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