U.S. 'dismayed' at Israel plan to build 900 homes beyond Green Line

[Scurrilous]

Israel disregards specific U.S. objection, approves plan to expand Jerusalem's Gilo neighborhood.

<snip>

"The U.S. State Department responded Tuesday to Israel's plan to build 900 new housing units beyond the Green Line in Jerusalem, despite specific objections from the U.S., saying that "we are dismayed."

The State Department issued a statement, voicing the U.S.'s disappointment with "the Jerusalem Planning Committee's decision to move forward on the approval process for the expansion of Gilo in Jerusalem."

The Jerusalem municipal planning committee approved the construction plan Tuesday despite an expose in Israel's Yedioth Aharonot newspaper earlier in the day revealing that the U.S. has specifically objected to the construction outlined in the plan.

"At a time when we are working to relaunch negotiations," the U.S. State Dempartment statement went on to say, "these actions make it more difficult for our efforts to succeed. Neither party should engage in efforts or take actions that could unilaterally pre-empt, or appear to pre-empt, negotiations."

"The U.S. also objects to other Israeli practices in Jerusalem related to housing, including the continuing pattern of evictions and demolitions of Palestinian homes," the statement continued.

"Our position is clear: the status of Jerusalem is a permanent status issue that must be resolved through negotiations between the parties,‬" it added."

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Palestinians, UK blast Israeli Jerusalem building plan

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3806821,00.html

Despite US pressure, Jerusalem building authorized and Palestinians aren't happy about it, say move shows Israel's overtures for talks 'meaningless'

<snip>

"Israeli officials on Tuesday deposited a plan to build 900 more housing units in a Jewish neighborhood in the part of Jerusalem claimed by Palestinians, drawing criticism from the Palestinians and Britain."

<snip>

"Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat responded to the move by charging that there is no point in talking peace while Israel expands Jewish neighborhoods in east Jerusalem.

"We condemn this in the strongest possible terms," Erekat said Tuesday. "It shows that it is meaningless to resume negotiations when this goes on."

The British government also criticized the plan to expand the sprawling neighborhood of Gilo, where about 40,000 Israelis live.

"The Foreign Secretary has been very clear that a credible deal involves Jerusalem as a shared capital," a British statement said. "Expanding settlements on occupied land in east Jerusalem makes that deal much harder. So this decision on Gilo is wrong and we oppose it."

[fascisthunter]

1. counting on fanatics to be fair is pretty stupid

unless you force their hand nothing will change, unless Israelis get rid of the fanatics iin their own government.

[IndianaGreen]

2. And anyone that truly believes the US is 'dismayed' is a fool

The 2-state solution is deader than Sharon's brain. Israel can either formally annex the territories it has de facto annexed since 1967 and either grant Palestinians Israeli citizenship, or expel them from this nightmarish Greater Israel. The point is to once and for all put an end to this charade of a peace process that has been played for over 40 years.

The status quo is unacceptable. The charade of a peace process is equally unacceptable.

[damntexdem]

3. U.S. dismayal is standard.

It's expressed in between signing checks to Israel and acting as Israel's lapdog in international fora.

[FiveGoodMen]

4. Israel has no intention of cooperating for peace.

Take that to the bank.

[IndianaGreen]

5. Anymore than Hamas believes in Israel's right to exist

Trust no one in the Middle East!

[Arrowhead2k1]

8. Who cares what Hamas thinks? We don't support their government with billions.

Never have. They themselves wouldn't even exist if it weren't for the harsh conditions imposed by decades of harsh Israeli policy and expansion.

[Flaneur]

6. Oh, well, let's wring our hands...

...and give Israel a few billion more dollars. That'll show 'em!

[IndianaGreen]

7. Obama Administration will do it differently

They will write a memo complaining about this.

[Scurrilous]

9. Israel insists there is no crisis with US

Sources close to Netanyahu imply White House's public criticism against planned construction in Jerusalem neighborhood is only a show, although state officials surprised by its intensity. Prime Minister's Office instructs ministers not to comment on issue

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3806888,00.html

<snip>

"Although Israel has been insisting for quite a while that there is no crisis in its relations with the United States, state officials were surprised Tuesday by the harsh American response to the approval of 900 new housing units in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo."

<snip>

"Netanyahu's associates attempted to minimize the implications of the American and British criticism following the plan to expand the neighborhood, which is located beyond the Green Line, hinting that the Americans must clarify in public why they oppose the construction.

"The Americans know very well that the Israeli agreement to freeze the construction does not include Jerusalem," one of the sources said."

<snip>

"The state officials hinted that the remarks made by Washington were simply a show. "The Americans want the entire issue of the territories to be clarified in the permanent agreement, and don't want the sides – mainly Israel – to create facts on the ground. However, Israel's stand on the matter is unequivocal – Jerusalem will not be part of any discussion on reducing construction," one of the sources said."

[IndianaGreen]

10. Bibi is right, the White House's dismay is nothing but faux outrage!

Why I believe Bibi over Obama? If Obama was serious, he has a large arsenal at his disposal to bring pressure to bear on Israel.

[Violet_Crumble]

11. Clearly saying they're dismayed isn't achieving anything in the way of pressure...

I wonder if the US govt will ever move past the stage of being dismayed and start putting some real pressure on the Israeli govt?

[ProgressiveMuslim]

12. When your BFF says "FUCK YOU!!!!" in your face, you should be more than dismayed! nt

[Scurrilous]

13. Obama criticizes new Israeli move on settlements

<snip>

"President Barack Obama says Israel's latest move to build hundreds of new apartments in a neighborhood claimed by the Palestinians complicates administration efforts to relaunch peace talks and embitters the Palestinians.

Obama told Fox News in an interview Wednesday that additional settlement building doesn't make Israel safer. He said such moves make it harder to achieve peace in the region, and embitters the Palestinians in a way that he said could be very dangerous.

Obama and the Palestinians have demanded that Israel halt settlement construction."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091118/ap_on_re_as/as_obama_mideast

[IndianaGreen]

14. As LGBTs found out the hard way, Obama says a lot of things

but there is a wide chasm between his florid words and his deeds.

[Scurrilous]

15. China joins world condemnation of East Jerusalem building plan

<snip>

"China's Foreign Ministry on Thursday added to a chorus of American, European and Palestinian demands that Israel halt construction in East Jerusalem, days after Israel announced plans to build 900 new homes in the neighborhood of Gilo.

"We urge the Israeli side to take concrete measures to restore Palestine-Israel mutual trust and create favorable conditions for the early resumption of talks between them," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a regular briefing, echoing U.S. President Barack Obama's concern that the construction poses new obstacles to the Middle East peace process."

<snip>

"Meanwhile, the European Union on Wednesday joined the chorus of international criticism of the Israeli plan to build in East Jerusalem, saying the move hampered talks over the establishment of a Palestinian state.

"The Presidency recalls that settlement activities, house demolitions and evictions in East Jerusalem are illegal under international law," the Swedish Presidency of the EU said in a statement.

"Such activities also prejudge the outcome of final status negotiations and threaten the viability of a two-state solution."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1129187.html

[oberliner]

16. Is the Green Line a Red Line?

Or will there be territorial exchanges in the end?