By Douglas V. Gibbs
Jerusalem is Israel's capital city. Housing in the crowded city is hard to come by, so in an effort to ease the difficulty regarding residences in Jerusalem, Israel planned to build additional units in a portion that, though is not in the Muslim sector of East Jerusalem, is close enough that some members of the international community complained, claiming that the expansion of housing is intrusive on the Muslim communities. Settlements in the West Bank have also been viewed with criticism, and as an intrusive action against Muslim communities in the region.
Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was critical of the international response. Regardless, some of the governments of the world, led by the Obama administration, continued with its effort to persuade the Israeli government to freeze construction of the Jewish housing in Jerusalem, and to stop establishing additional settlements in the West Bank.
Suddenly, without warning, the United States has decided to back off.
The Palestinian Authority refuses to continue peace negotiations as long as there is no pressure on Israel regarding the construction in Jerusalem, or the West Bank, but the United States is determined to abandon their demand for Israel to stop building, and the Obama administration is looking for a way to locate another formula to bring the Palestinians back to the table.
The Obama administration's decision to cease their demand for a freeze on construction is an acceptance of the fact that even if they could get Israel to stop construction, at this late stage, and with a limited 90-day moratorium, it would not produce any progress on core issues that the United States originally had sought in regards to the Middle East Peace Talks.
There is no other alternative plan, as well. The peace talks, and the construction in Jerusalem and the West Bank, is out of Obama's control.
The Democrat Party's strategies in the Middle East, like everything else they have been trying to accomplish since taking control of the federal government, has proven to be a huge failure.
Part of the reason for backing off is also because the liberals in Washington did not desire to accept any of Israel's requests, which included 20 F-35 stealth airplanes and an American pledge to veto anti-Israel resolutions at the United Nations, were never delivered to the Israelis. The anti-Israel Democrat Party just couldn't bring themselves to working with one of our closest allies in such a manner.
The Palestinians insist that the additional Jewish housing in Jerusalem must stop, and also argue that a similar freeze on the creation of settlements be applied to the West Bank. Israel’s initial 10-month moratorium included only the West Bank. The Obama administration's critical verbiage on the Jerusalem housing projects was not included in the original official moratorium.
Israel’s defense minister, Ehud Barak, has suggested that the United States was halting its effort because it was preoccupied with the fallout from leaks of confidential diplomatic cables (WikiLeaks). The Obama administration flatly denied that claim.
Additional challenges to Israel have come from Argentina over a declaration by the South American country that recognizes Palestine as a free and independent state based on the 1967 boundaries. The announcement by Argentina follows announcements by Brazil and Uruguay in recognizing a Palestinian state.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
U.S. Drops Bid to Sway Israel on Settlements - New York Times
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