Vice President Biden On Why He Condemned Israel's Construction Announcement

[Turborama]

Run time: 01:50 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK_eyyRkJ7w   Posted on YouTube: March 11, 2010 By YouTube Member: AlJazeeraEnglish Views on YouTube: 3381   Posted on DU: March 12, 2010 By DU Member: Turborama Views on DU: 787

 
Israel announced on Tuesday that it would build 1,600 new housing units in Ramat Shlomo, a religious Jewish settlement in an area of the occupied West Bank annexed to Jerusalem by Israel.

The announcement drew condemnation from Joe Biden, the US vice-president who is on a visit to the region partly to throw his weight behind US-brokered "proximity" talks between the Israelis and Palestinians that were announced just on Sunday.

In an interview with Al Jazeera English from the occupied West Bank, Biden explains why he condemned Israel's construction announcement (11 mar 2010).

Full interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1XyJtehphw

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[Lars77]

1. How has this been reported in US media? nt

[Chulanowa]

2. I'm sorry, I thought you used the words "reported" and "US media" in the same sentence

The Us media doesn't report; it opines, it editorializes, it advertises, but it does not, under any circumstances, report.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. The president has already called for an end of Israeli settlements

in disputed territories. Here's more on the Biden story:

Biden condemns new Israeli settlement plan

JERUSALEM – Vice President Joe Biden condemned an Israeli plan to build hundreds of homes in disputed east Jerusalem on Tuesday — a disagreement that tarnished a high-profile visit that had been aimed at repairing ties with the Jewish state and kickstarting Mideast peace talks.

Israel's Interior Ministry said late Tuesday that it had approved construction of 1,600 new apartments, an embarrassing setback for Biden after a day of warm meetings with top Israeli officials.

Although ministry officials said the announcement was procedural and unconnected to the visit, a top aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was blindsided and tried to contain the damage at a late-night dinner with Biden.

Nonetheless, Biden issued a harshly worded statement after the dinner, saying its timing was especially troubling by coming on the eve of a new round of U.S.-mediated peace talks.

"The substance and timing of the announcement, particularly with the launching of proximity talks, is precisely the kind of step that undermines the trust we need right now," Biden said.

"We must build an atmosphere to support negotiations, not complicate them," he added, warning that "unilateral action taken by either party cannot prejudge the outcome of negotiations."

Relations between Israel and the Obama administration have been chilly precisely because of the settlement issue, and one of Biden's main goals had been to try to patch up ties. Biden is the highest-level member of the Obama administration to visit Israel.

The U.S., like the Palestinians and the rest of the international community, believes that Israeli settlements built on lands claimed by the Palestinians, including east Jerusalem, undermine peace prospects. President Barack Obama has been more outspoken on the issue than his predecessors.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100309/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians

[hulka38]

5. But the administration isn't going to do anything about it.

Measures that could get Israel's attention that we are serious are and have always been off the table. Do you expect these words to stop Israel from going forward?

[Rhiannon12866]

7. No, I'm afraid I don't...

Money talks and that isn't going to stop, even under Obama...

[trungpa ricochet]

3. Money talks louder than words, Joe.

The right-wing fanatics running Israel will understand what you mean when you pull the plug on "Free money to Israel".
Try DEMANDING something, Mr. VP, to make your point. Diplomacy is fine for public statements, but behind closed doors, somebody from the White House needs to read Bibi the fucking Riot Act.

[Barbara2423]

6. I love Joe Biden. He is the man that can get things done.

He is a straight talker. I read that he held up a State dinner for two hours after this incident. Next, time pull the money back from Israel.