When the U.S. ambassador met Israeli settlers

[Jefferson23]

Right-wing MKs take Dan Shapiro to task over Palestinian policies, and over Jonathan Pollard.

By Barak Ravid | Feb. 26, 2014

At a tense meeting Tuesday between U.S. Ambassador Dan Shapiro and members of the Knesset's Land of Israel caucus, the ambassador was taken harshly to task for U.S. policies on the Palestinian issue.

The 16 lawmakers, mostly settlers and members of the farther right parties in the coalition also assailed Shapiro with regard to the continued incarceration of Jewish spy Jonathan Pollard.

Shapiro listened patiently and responded that the United States recognizes the historic bond of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel but that “there is another people here as well.”

At the meeting, which lasted more than an hour and was held in Hebrew, refreshments were served that included dates from the Jordan Valley, part of which lies in the West Bank.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.576441

[Jefferson23]

1. further on:

In attendance were coalition chairman MKs Yariv Levin, Reuven Rivlin, Moshe Feiglin and Deputy Minister Tzipi Hotovely of Likud, and MKs Orit Strock, Yoni Chetboun, Nissim Slomiansky, Zvulun Kalfa, Ayelet Shaked and Shuli Moalem from Habayit Hayehudi. Also present was MK Robert Ilatov of Yisrael Beiteinu as well as MK Pnina Tamano-Shata of Yesh Atid and MKs Nissim Zeev and David Azoulay from Shas.

According to the minutes, which Haaretz obtained from notes taken by one of the individuals present, and parts of which were also reported on Channel 2, Shapiro attempted to explain why the U.S. was pushing the peace process ahead at this particular time. He also surveyed the work of the Obama administration for Israel.

“We want Israel to be our number one partner. It is a fundamental interest of the United States that Israel remain a secure Jewish and democratic state. That is our moral obligation. The military assistance to the Israel Defense Forces is something we are proud of and we view as an expression of our true obligation,” Shapiro said.

The ambassador said that successive Israeli governments over the past 15 years, including the Netanyahu government, have aimed for an accord with the Palestinians. “Our obligation as an ally is to help Israel achieve that goal,” Shapiro said, and added that the U.S. wanted to forge ahead at this particular time because “in this regional storm there is an opportunity to attain stability.”

Shapiro said the Obama Administration wanted to maintain Israel’s interests such as strong security arrangements, recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and a Palestinian end-of-conflict declaration. He said that a permanent agreement “would open doors to Israel to new partners in the region and will be a powerful tool against a delegitimization campaign against Israel.”

[Scootaloo]

2. Presumably followed by a five-minute phone call to the Palestinian minister of plumbing

you know, for equality's sake

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

3. Do you ever wonder, at the way esteemed US politicians bend over backward for

Israel, that Israel has something on the USA that if it were to come out would be embarrassing?

[Jefferson23]

4. No, it is not like that at all. They work together on many levels, willingly.

The US is not invested in the quality of life for the Palestinians...nothing to do with
Israel's contempt for them. If Israel wanted to accept past UN resolutions, the US would
say..great...otherwise, what's in it for them?

On edit to add, I am not discounting the Israel lobby, but that is generally only specific
to Israel, not the ME.

[azurnoir]

5. What I have noticed is that the greater chance there is for a Palestinian State

the more shrill the rhetoric against it has become

[Purveyor]

6. And if that fails, something conveniently goes 'boom' so the real wailing

can begin and around the clock film loop of the event in the msm.