Hands off Jerusalem

The demand of the Obama Administration that Israel should not build in Jerusalem goes far beyond the previous stance taken by any US Administration. The new Israeli Ambassador to Washington was summoned to the State Dept. on Monday and was told that the US expects Israel to stop renovation of the Shepherd Hotel in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, that was originally the home of the Mufti of Jerusalem, but when he was no longer around it was turned into a Hotel and expanded. Then it was abandoned and was bought in 1985 by Irv Moskowitz, the American developer, who has waited all these years for Government permission to modernize and expand it for Jewish habitation.
Jerusalem is not a "settlement," neither is it an "outpost," Jerusalem is the undivided capital of Israel, and East Jerusalem has been incorporated into Israel since soon after it was captured during the 1967 Six-day war. If Obama chooses not to recognize this fact, too bad, then he is adopting a pro-Palestinian position, and Israel will not cooperate in that.
If there are supposed to be negotiations with the Palestinians on all issues including Jerusalem, how can the US try to pressure Israel into taking a position that it cannot legally take according to its own laws. Further, the whole population (apart from a few extremists) including the Kadima opposition is united in opposing the redivision of Jerusalem. There are some conceivable compromises that can be reached (such as giving the putative Palestinian State some areas on the border of Jerusalem such as Abu Dis), but this cannot be done as a pre-condition to talks.
Now, the PA has no need to talk. They issued a statement (no doubt coordinated with the State Department) that they will not renew negotiations with Israel until Israel accepts the US preconditions of a freeze on all settlement building including East Jerusalem. This is totally unacceptable and PM Netanyahu dismissed it out of hand, "We cannot accept the notion that Jews will not have the right to buy apartments specifically in Jerusalem. I can only imagine what would happen if they were forbidden from purchasing apartments in New York or London; there would be an international outcry. This has always been Israel's policy and this is the policy of the current government," the prime minister added. By applying pressure only on Israel and taking a Palestinian position Obama has effectively destroyed any chance of negotiations in the near future.
At the same time the State Dept. praised Israel for removing 150 checkpoints and aiding the development of the West Bank economy. So what do we get in exchange, a slap in the face. Maybe the majority of American Jews who supported Obama can now see how the chickens are coming home to roost. Many of us predicted this and now Obama's predilection for left-wing causes is coming to the fore.
He is under the illusion that by pushing for a solution of the Palestinian problem, by enforcing an American plan, this will somehow persuade the extremist Arabs (al Qaeda) and the Iranians, that the US is their friend. But, any sensible person knows that it will not have the slighest effect on these forces. Al Qaeda will still consider itself the enemy of the US, Iran will still continue to develop its nuclear weapon, and Hamas and Hizbollah will still remain terrorist organizations opposed to the existence of Israel. Unfortunately by adopting a "third world" agenda Obama (identifying with the Muslims, the Africans and the Palestinians) will only drive the US into the arms of its enemies.