Decision on Jerusalem made under intense pressure from U.S., ’satisfies’ Palestinians
By Aaron Klein, © 2010 WorldNetDaily
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to quietly halt all Jewish construction in eastern Jerusalem as a “confidence-building gesture” toward the Palestinian Authority as demanded by the Obama administration, a top PA official told WND.
The PA official said Netanyahu will not make a public declaration on the subject for fear of upsetting his nationalist coalition, which would be forced to respond to any public Jewish construction freeze in Jerusalem. The official said while the Jerusalem freeze would not be announced, no new Jewish construction in the eastern sections of the city will be approved by the local municipality.
Local municipality should defy Bibi.
The official said the agreement, brokered last week by George Mitchell, Obama’s envoy to the Middle East, satisfies the PA’s precondition for beginning direct negotiations with Israel aimed at creating a Palestinian state.
The official also said Mitchell extracted a pledge from Netanyahu that he will extend a 10-month halt to all Jewish construction in the West Bank that he implemented in November, also as a so-called confidence building gesture to the PA demanded by the Obama administration.
Meanwhile, the PA has not been asked to make any major gestures to Israel to jumpstart talks. The U.S. has not demanded the PA recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
Netanyahu’s spokesmen could not be immediately reached for comment regarding the report of a de facto freeze in Jewish construction in eastern Jerusalem.
On the ground, there have been almost no new building projects in eastern Jerusalem for more than a month.
Israel’s Haaretz newspaper two weeks ago reported staff members of the Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee have been instructed by Netanyahu’s office to halt their work. The order followed a public spat with the Obama administration after housing was approved for 1,600 new homes in an already-existing Jewish community during Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel in March.
At the time, the White House slammed the construction approval as an “insult” and an impediment to peace.
Terrorism and incitement to terrorism against Israel however are not impediments to peace?
1 comments:
The web definition of a protectorate is a state or territory having strong ties, with a stronger state, but autonomous in internal affairs. The protectorate receives financial, military and diplomatic support and in return surrenders some autonomy in its foreign affairs, to its dominant partner. Israel is a classic case of a difacto protectorate. And what occured this past week reinforces this perception. Israel folded in its avowed wishes to continue building in East Jerusalem, despite making statements to the contrary.Until we understand the true nature of this relationship, all complaints that Israel ought to take actions contrary to America's wishes are is just words without any realistic substance attached. Of course Israel is free to sever this umbilical tie, but in fact choses not to.It continues to receive its usual stipend of some 3 billion U.S. and has not indicated that it will not be requesting future grants. Israel's military dominance is a direct result of its strong American connection. If there should be a break in relations, it is very doubtful
that the large gap between Israel's military strength and that of its opponents will continue indefinitely. When you compare the demographic differences between Israel (7million) and its surrounding Arab neighbours (250-275 Million)any suggestion to adopt
" a go it alone policy", is foolhardy to the extreme
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