…in spite of Obama administration objections.
Above and beyond the slap in the face Netanyahu issued to Biden during his trip to Israel and to Obama just before his meeting at the White House, what was already taking place on the ground in East Jerusalem far outdistanced the offending development plans.
Al Jezeera reported about the East Jerusalem building boom on March 11, 2010:
According to the text,
Israel has been expanding illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian land for decade, and it is now emerging just how far-reaching this policy is.
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the Jerusalem housing committee is planning to build another 50,000 Jewish homes in occupied East Jerusalem to join the hundreds of thousands already there or in progress.
That includes 3,000 housing units in Gilo, 1,500 apartments in Har Homa and another 1,500 in the settlement of Pisgat Ze’ev.
Thousands more have been planned at Givat Hamatos, and the settlement of Ramot, while hundreds more are in the works in Armon Hanetziv, as well as Neveh Yaakov.
Hillary Clinton earlier claimed that this building in East Jerusalem is “unhelpful” and later gave an earful to Netanyahu, apparently to no avail. In accordance with Netanyahu’s AIPAC speech, building in the capital of Israel, in this case East Jerusalem, will continue, and it has.
US ‘may not veto UN resolution on Jerusalem’
As a further sign of changing US-Israeli relations, this report from the BBC:
Netanyahu’s intransigence is apparently continuing to deteriorate US-Isareli relations. Can a change of government be far behind?
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should be commended for her presentation to AIPAC, outlining a US position which is willing to prod and pressure Israel when needed, while still allaying Israel’s ultimate concern: national security. Clinton was right to proclaim that “staying on this course means continuing a conflict that carries tragic human costs. Both sides must confront the reality that the status quo of the last decade has not produced long-term security or served their interests. Nor has it served the interests of the United States.”
Clinton’s point here, which distinguishes this administration from the previous two, is that the US is finally willing to acknowledge that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is inextricably linked not only to US strategic interests, but also to the complex power structures throughout the greater Middle East. For the US to support Israel’s security, especially when it comes to garnering support against Iran’s nuclear advancements, it must continue multilateral tracks to make progress on a political level, a security level and a people-to-people level.
The US must continue to put pressure against the continued expansion of settlements without making the entire peace process beholden to the inevitable ups and downs of these activities. The settlement agenda is a highly contested issue within Israel, with myriad opinions coming from diverse political parties and ministers in and outside Netanyahu’s fragile coalition.
What makes Obama different?
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."No link, but I understand that at the AIPAC meeting words was spread that Hillary Clinton was not to be booed.
It would seem that AIPAC’s main gripe is that the White House preferred to air out differences in public instead in the usual manner, privately. Goes to show how much keeping the American people ignorant of how much Israel is a liability to us.
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(MediaMatters) – AIPAC wants to put on a nice Washington show of power but without egregious poking of American eyes. For instance, the 7,800 delegates were warned in advance not to boo or hiss Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when she discussed achieving peace with the Palestinians — and they didn’t. They allowed their feelings to show only when they stood and applauded her requisite criticisms of Palestinians while giving scattered applause to her calls for Israeli concessions.
Goldstone is ‘token court Jew,’ and please don’t boo Hillary
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."Thanks for fleshing that point out.
That is, the ones who were screwed by Israeli warmongers into being front line cannon fodder, tempting them with settlement that they now regret: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f39_1270050287&c=1
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(JPost) – With the septet grappling with the issue, there are also sharp differences emerging in the White House regarding Middle East policy, according to a report on the Politico Web site.
According to the report, White House Middle East strategist Dennis Ross “is staking out a position that Washington needs to be sensitive to Netanyahu’s domestic political constraints,” while other officials aligned with Middle East envoy George Mitchell are pushing for written commitments from Israel “to avoid provocations that imperil Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and to preserve the Obama administration’s credibility.”
The official slugged further at Ross, saying: “Dennis uses the minutiae to blur the big picture … And no one asks the question: why, since his approach in the Oslo years was such an abysmal failure, is he back, peddling the same snake oil?”
Dennis Ross Caught Between Obama and Netanyahu
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."Wow – Dennis Ross is urging “sensitivity” to Netanyahu – quel surprise!
“[Dennis Ross’s] approach in the Oslo years was such an abysmal failure…“
Ummmmmm…. No. It wasn’t. It accomplished exactly what it was designed to accomplish.
As Ross’ proIsrael proclivities were blatantly evident during the Clinton administration, it was somewhat of a surprise to see him back as part of the Obama administration. I’m just not getting it. Is he there to concoct another “generous offer” when this next stage of negotiations is over?
When Obama chose Dennis Ross I abandoned all hope. No one who was serious about the Middle East would want that man anywhere near it, let alone acting as his adviser on it.
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Must be the administration’s plan to use Dennis Ross as Netanyahu’s look alike and to be exploited in debate as Obama’s sparring partner.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."