Posted on 11/18/2010 5:30:14 PM PST by Cinnamon Girl
JERUSALEM -- Israel insisted Thursday it would keep building homes in disputed east Jerusalem, threatening to hold up a U.S.-proposed settlement construction moratorium designed to renew deadlocked Mideast peacemaking.
The contours of the moratorium deal, as presented by Israeli officials after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned from the U.S. last week, had appeared to be clearly agreed upon.
Washington, they said, had agreed to exclude the eastern sector of the holy city from the 90-day moratorium and there would be no further demands for construction curbs in the West Bank when the latest moratorium expired.
On Thursday, however, a day after Netanyahu said a deal was imminent, the U.S. still had not sent a promised letter detailing the understandings on the proposed moratorium.
In Washington, a senior Obama administration official said the U.S. and Israel were still "haggling" over details of the written assurances. The official said most of the unresolved issues were relatively routine but added that it was unlikely that the letter would be finished Thursday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter, said it was not clear when the letter might be completed.
In a speech Thursday, Netanyahu suggested agreement was neither imminent nor inevitable.
He said he has been holding intensive contacts with the Obama administration since his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton a week ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...
Actually he hasn't.
He went along with the first freeze. He capitulated on a Palestinian State. In fact I dare you to show any instance where he held firm.
Moshe Ya'alon, Begin, other Likud members, are holding firm. Not Netanyahu.
He talks a nice game, he did the first time too. At the end his bending to Clinton got his own allies to reject him. That brought the tragedy of having Barak become PM. He is now bending to Obama/Clinton and the result could be tragedy.
What will save Israel- and him- maybe is if he can't persuade the whores at Shas to sign on to this trap.
To be fair to Netanyahu, very few Israeli PM's have been able to withstand an unfriendly American President. On the other hand that is what people who had high hopes for Netanyahu prayed for and what Israel needs in a leader: today more then ever when the American President is so hostile.
His “capitulation” on a so-called palestinian state does not include Jerusalem and comes with major military restrictions as you know. It’s nothing they would agree to, as we can see since they haven’t. What I have seen is Bibi trying to be diplomatic and make the appearance of trying to work with the Americans, but how often since Ozero got into office have we heard them say that what Israel is doing “isn’t helpful”? What makes you think Bibi really wants to give the land away but his hands are tied? That’s not what he says and that’s not what has happened this time.
Don’t misunderstand me.
I’m not saying Netanyahu wants to give anything away....or that he is a bad guy.
I know I’m arm chair quarterbacking.
Contrary to the opinion of Israel haters and anti-Semites, Israel doesn’t control the US. The US controls the fate of Israel. The US protects Israel from the whims of an Israeli hating World. It’s not about American aid. It’s about blocking the type of sanctions that brought South Africa to its knees.
I can not imagine the pressure Netanyahu is under. The blackmail from a powerful enemy such as Obama must be unbearable.
Still, supporters of Israel hoped he had the strength to stand tall and withstand the pressure. It seems he doesn’t have that ability.
Maybe no one could better.
When Israel has such an enemy in the White House, Israel is in peril- whoever is PM.
No.
Just to scratch the surface: O offers 20 F-35 for 90 days freeze, which is supposed to be the last one. Everyone knows that F-35 delivery is vaporware, and that O has no intention of keeping any promises. The "hardline wing" plays up the demand that Bibi get everything in writing, and with firm lockdowns - and if he doesn't, they'll remove him and get a new leader. Bibi makes the demand to O - which is where we are now. O goes away, cursing and mumbling.
Bibi got trapped by Bill a long time ago, which was a pure gangster assault on Bill's part, and totally unforeseen. What went on at the last hours of Wye is almost unknown, but we have one Freeper who was there just feet from the action. Anyway, he won't get trapped again, probably.
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