I understand the concept of negotiating from a position of strength, but not the concept of continually blowing up any negotiations at all. Our government told Netanyahu that it did not want any more surprises announcing new settlements on the eve of talks.
After Vice President Joseph R. Biden’s visit to Israel was marred last March by an announcement of Jerusalem building plans that Mr. Netanyahu said came as a surprise to him, American officials said they made clear to the Israelis that they expected no further such surprises in the coming months.
At the time, Mr. Netanyahu’s aides said he sent out letters to all offices concerned with settlement building demanding detailed lists of upcoming plans to avoid such an unexpected announcement while peace talks with the Palestinians were under way or in preparation.
It was unclear whether Mr. Netanyahu knew about the latest announcement before it was published in newspapers late last week.
Despite this, immediately before Netanyahu left for the United States, Israel announced “plans for 1,000 new units for a contested part of East Jerusalem.”
The statement from Mr. Netanyahu’s office addressed the talks by saying that “Israel sees no connection at all between the peace process and building plans in Jerusalem.”
Of course, they’re alone in that view.
Speaking during his visit to Indonesia, Mr. Obama said that the Israeli announcement — plans for 1,000 new units for a contested part of East Jerusalem — added to the difficulties of Israeli-Palestinian talks. “This kind of activity is never helpful when it comes to peace negotiations,” he said, “and I’m concerned that we’re not seeing each side make the extra effort involved to get a breakthrough.”
Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said in a statement on Tuesday that Israel’s actions threatened the negotiating process and was “a call for immediate international recognition of the Palestinian State.”
The statement added: “Once more, at the moment that we expected Prime Minister Netanyahu to announce a full settlement freeze from Washington D.C., he has sent Palestinians and the U.S. administration a clear message that Israel chooses settlements, not peace.
Earlier, Jordan strongly condemned what it referred to as the “resumption of Israeli construction in the occupied Palestinian territories, including east Jerusalem.”
France on Saturday joined the United States in an expression of “deep disappointment’ over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to approve bids for 240 new housing units in the Jerusalem neighborhoods of Pisgat Ze’ev and Ramot, which are located beyond the Green Line.
French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said Paris expected Jerusalem to reconsider the move. According to the French statement, the decision harms the opportunity to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians and France is “deeply disappointed” by it.
Valero stressed that the foreign ministers of both France and Spain expected Israel to halt construction in West Bank settlements and east Jerusalem…
Russia urged Israel to reconsider its decision as well. According to the Russian news agency, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov wrote on his website, “The Israeli government’s plans are perceived with an extreme concern and disappointment in Moscow.
But, here’s all you need to know:
However, US Representative Gary Ackerman, chairman of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, issued a statement supporting the Israeli construction in Jerusalem. “Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. It is not a settlement. As such, the resumption of construction in Jerusalem is not a justification for a crisis, a showdown, a meltdown or even a hissy fit,” he said.
And:
Government ministers on Saturday appeared unfazed by the global condemnation of an Israeli decision to approve building plans for 240 new housing units in the Jerusalem neighborhoods of Givat Ze’ev and Ramot, located beyond the Green Line.
“The issued statements of condemnation were not serious,” said a senior minister. “What counts is what the Americans say.”
So, according to the Israel government, the whole world (excepting the United States) is not serious, and according to the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, the world is just having a meritless “hissy fit” because East Jerusalem doesn’t belong to the Palestinians anyway.
Does anyone see why this kind of arrogant disregard for the world’s opinions and concerns can cause a direct threat to our national and personal security?
Get the talks going and stop talking smack.
