Posted on 09/07/2009 5:23:55 AM PDT by tobyhill
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has approved the construction of 455 housing units in the West Bank, his office said Monday.
The move comes as Israel and the United States have been increasingly at odds over the settlement issue.
U.S. President Barack Obama has insisted Israel freeze all settlement activity as a necessary step toward advancing negotiations with Palestinians.
The Jewish settlements are spread throughout the Palestinian West Bank. Israel maintains the settlements are needed to accommodate growth from residents of existing settlements.
Chief Palestinian negotiation Saed Erakat said Israel's approval of new settlements is a direct challenge to the international efforts to restart negotiations.
"Israel's decision to approve the construction of over 450 new settlement units nullifies any effect that a settlement freeze, when and if announced, will have," he said. "It further undermines faith in the peace process, and the belief that Israel is a credible partner for peace."
Sabri Saidam, adviser to the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was also pessimistic.
"Israel's decision destroys the chances for peace and frustrates the efforts of the U.S. plan," Saidam said.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Obamalini must have told Bibi to wait some more on Iran. Bibi ain’t waiting no mo, and this is his message to Obamalini. Build in Israel... knock ‘em down in Iran.
Convenient, now the palestinians and obama can blame Israel........well they would have any way.
“Israel’s decision destroys the chances for peace and frustrates the efforts of the U.S. plan,” Saidam said
Anyone with common sense knows this—unfortuntely, those running our foreign policy are devoid of common sense.
Israel had more cojones than our own Congress.
Bibi stands tall. he senses weakness in our Great Leader.......and knows that, unlike Obama’s US, Israel does not want to be perceived as weak at this point in history.
I guess that Israel has already had enough of Dear Leader’s “Hope and Change” concepts.
Tough to wait very long when you’re under attack. Of course one must wonder how much longer America has before 70% believe we have waited long enough.
Bibi stands tall. he senses weakness in our Great Leader - ALL the world leader, both good and bad, know what a phony “Mack Daddy the Zebra” really is and his total lack of experience.
They know that he a total liar and in a heart beat would throw them under the bus and blame them for anything he f’d up.
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