Jerusalem development
The US State Department does not like the fact that the Jerusalem Housing Authority gave permission for 900 housing units to be built next to Gilo, a southern suburb of Jerusalem. In fact, Pres. Obama criticized this move all the way from Beijing, he considered it that important to ingratiate himself with the Arabs. Even the Chinese, who have raped Tibet, were moved to criticize Israel for this trivial action. The French FM Bernard Kouchner, visiting Israel, called the move "regrettable."
In Israel, this move is considered a local matter, and PM Netanyahu was not involved in the decision, but it clearly has international repercussions. The State Department said that taking this action at this time does not help their attempts to restart the peace process. But, that is illusory, because there is no "peace process" at this time and neither it there likely to be with the Palestinians split in two and Abbas chasing another fantasy, that of a unilateral declaration of Palestinian Statehood.
While the Palestinians and much of the world label building around Jerusalem as "a settlement," as far as Israel is concerned, since this area was annexed to the State after the Six Day war of 1967, it is a longstanding and legal part of the city of Jerusalem and as such the decision to build there is a local matter. It is simply not factually correct to call Gilo and its environs "a settlement" and neither is it "occupied territory," for 42 years it has been a part of the State of Israel and within the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem. In any case, actual building won't start for a year.
The real question is why does the US parrot the Palestinian propaganda position on this point? And the answer to that question is that not only is opposition to settlement building a long-standing US position, but the Obama Administration has made that a central plank in its policy in the Middle East. But, once again, as with the total settlement freeze, it is a futile policy, because Israel cannot and will not stop the natural development of Jerusalem, its capital and largest city.
If some people cannot distinguish between two distinct categories of development, of settlements and city suburbs, that is their problem.
In Israel, this move is considered a local matter, and PM Netanyahu was not involved in the decision, but it clearly has international repercussions. The State Department said that taking this action at this time does not help their attempts to restart the peace process. But, that is illusory, because there is no "peace process" at this time and neither it there likely to be with the Palestinians split in two and Abbas chasing another fantasy, that of a unilateral declaration of Palestinian Statehood.
While the Palestinians and much of the world label building around Jerusalem as "a settlement," as far as Israel is concerned, since this area was annexed to the State after the Six Day war of 1967, it is a longstanding and legal part of the city of Jerusalem and as such the decision to build there is a local matter. It is simply not factually correct to call Gilo and its environs "a settlement" and neither is it "occupied territory," for 42 years it has been a part of the State of Israel and within the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem. In any case, actual building won't start for a year.
The real question is why does the US parrot the Palestinian propaganda position on this point? And the answer to that question is that not only is opposition to settlement building a long-standing US position, but the Obama Administration has made that a central plank in its policy in the Middle East. But, once again, as with the total settlement freeze, it is a futile policy, because Israel cannot and will not stop the natural development of Jerusalem, its capital and largest city.
If some people cannot distinguish between two distinct categories of development, of settlements and city suburbs, that is their problem.
posted by Jack Cohen at 9:34 AM
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