Posted on 10/04/2014 4:05:06 AM PDT by Kaslin
Americans should protest this abuse of an ally.
On Wednesday evening, soon after President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu had completed their parley at the White House, State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said:
This development will only draw condemnation from the international community, distance Israel from even its closest allies, poison the atmosphere not only with the Palestinians but also with the very Arab governments with which Prime Minister Netanyahu said he wanted to build relations.
And White House spokesman Josh Earnest—seeming to read in part from the same script—said: “This development will only draw condemnation from the international community. It also would call into question Israel’s ultimate commitment to a peaceful negotiated settlement with the Palestinians.”
What was it that they were so up in arms about?
On Wednesday morning, seeking to trip up Netanyahu before his meeting with Obama, the Israeli far-left organization Peace Now publicized the fact that last week the Jerusalem municipality approved construction of 2500 homes in an “East Jerusalem” neighborhood called Givat Hamatos (it means “Airplane Hill” in Hebrew).
Given the administration’s outrage, one might think Israel was again committing the grave offense of building for Jews in “East Jerusalem.” Except that this time the homes are slated for both Jews and Arabs in a mixed neighborhood. In Washington, though, it doesn’t help Israel’s case.
What do people mean when they say “East Jerusalem”?
The term actually refers to northern, eastern, and southern parts of Jerusalem that were occupied by Jordan from 1949 to 1967. Only two countries, Britain and Pakistan, recognized the Jordanian occupation. During it Jews were denied all access to their holy sites while Jordanian snipers fired repeatedly into the Jewish part of the city. Christians suffered as well, their “East Jerusalem” population dwindling from 25,000 in 1949 to 10,000 in 1967 as they were given only paltry access to their holy sites and forced to teach the Koran in their church schools (accounts here and here).
Since Israel’s conquest of “East Jerusalem” in the 1967 Six-Day War, all faiths have enjoyed freedom of worship throughout the city. Actually the only exception is the Temple Mount—to which, under an unfortunate deal worked out after the war between Israel and the Muslim Wakf, Islam retains full access while Judaism and Christianity have only partial and restricted access.
Since 1967 the city has also flourished economically, and both its Jewish and Arab populations have grown dramatically. Polls have found that, even if a Palestinian state were to be established in the West Bank, most East Jerusalem Palestinians would prefer to remain Israeli rather than become citizens of the Palestinian state.
None of this, however, dislodges Washington’s—and, of course, every European government’s—idée fixe that the only acceptable fate for “East Jerusalem” is to be held in perpetuity by Israel as a purely Arab, predominantly Muslim zone until such time as the mythical “two-state solution” can be reached and the city can be redivided.
Meanwhile Washington, London, Paris, Berlin and so on will not hesitate to tongue-lash Israel for the transgression of building homes for Jews in those parts of the city they insist should remain Jew-free—even though, by now, there are over 200,000 Israeli Jews living both in Jewish and mixed Jewish-Arab neighborhoods in “East Jerusalem.”
Why did the administration come down particularly hard on Israel this time? It may be that, after uncharacteristically criticizing Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas for accusing Israel of genocide at the UN this week, the administration wanted to tip the scales back in the Israel-slamming direction. Or it could be that amid a general mood of frustration and malaise, dumping on the Jews is always an outlet.
But whatever the reason, as Netanyahu said in reaction to the administration’s latest temper tantrum:
Arabs in Jerusalem freely buy apartments, and nobody says that is forbidden. I will also not say that Jews cannot buy property in Jerusalem. There cannot be discrimination between Jews and Arabs.
Americans should protest this latest abuse of an ally and mockery of American ideals. The days when certain parts of a city could be declared off limits to people belonging to a certain group were supposed to have gone out in the 1960s or so.
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Most of Washington can better identify with the terrorists.
Exactly
Why?
Because Evil ALWAYS hates the Jews.
Washington doesn’t just hate Jews, they hate new homes. Anywhere. They just know Mother Gaia hates new Jewish homes more.
I was going to say "because democrats hate the Jews". Clearly we agree.
Washington DC, the hated selfserving,
alQaeda-arming, Fast&Furious-ignoring EXEMPT,
hate all free people.
They hate Americans. Truly enough to bring in Ebola.
Enough to impose DeathCARE (but not for themselves).
They hate Israelis. Truly enough to divide their capitol
which the EXEMPT cannot even name.
Thousands of lives and homes are being destroyed in the ME by the ISIS monsters but yet the nosy Bam Admin is all in a hissy about some homes being constructed in Israel.
Birds of a feather fly together. The current Washington regime is a tremendous embarrassment to all good Americans. But the islamonazis won’t win, ultimately, in Washington or in Jerusalem for that matter. They will eventually be driven out and decent morality will be restored
Because DC wants to destroy Israel and make the area all Muslim? Just as they want the world to be ALL Muslim?
rabs in Jerusalem freely buy apartments, and nobody says that is forbidden. I will also not say that Jews cannot buy property in Jerusalem. There cannot be discrimination between Jews and Arabs.
Americans should protest this latest abuse of an ally and mockery of American ideals. The days when certain parts of a city could be declared off limits to people belonging to a certain group were supposed to have gone out in the 1960s or so.
This is very reasonable, but Israel has to Cow Tow to the USA. Israel needs to be more independent.
Start by building a less Buck Rodgers Jet fighter of their own and cancel out of the delay ridden J-35 which is overly complicated for fighting the Arab missions.
All that $audi money $ure ha$ done it$ thing—buying all that influence. It’$ now $o fa$honable being $o anti-$emetic the$e day$!
Ju$t wait ‘till they come for YOUR head$!
Large numbers of Israeli economic analysts and conservative politicians know that US aid to Israel damages Israel.
It is mostly either crony capitalism for US military production or bribes to the Israeli government to act against Israel’s long-term self interest.
Perhaps ‘hating Jews’ could be replaced by ‘jealous of Jews’. Hatred of Jews was first generated by Arab jealousy. Arabs are jealous of the initiative of Jews, the laws of Jews, and the success of Jews.
Because it hates Jews and loves their enemies.
Because Øbola hates Jews.
Your right, I wish that they were listened to, we could see Israel become the middle eastern stock market in a few years if Israel acted more independent.
Israel should annex most of the west bank now before ISIS comes knocking at their door. The map of the area is changing and Israel has nothing to do with it.
Mr. President: if you can’t close the border with Mexico, how do you propose to contain Jewish settlements? Don’t the Israeli’s have at least as legitimate a claim to Jerusalem as Mexicans do to Texas, Arizona and New Mexico?
Liberals, always digging for dirt in others that they themselves heap around.
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