Posted on 10/09/2014 7:36:52 AM PDT by SJackson
The exceptionally vicious condemnation of Israel with regard to housing construction in the Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem is not merely misguided, but also reflects irrational bias.
Incidentally, this behavior also has many ominous parallels to the inhumane incarceration of Jonathan Pollard, despite pleas for the commutation of his sentence from all sectors of American society.
The harsh outburst relates to a 2,600-unit housing project planned as an extension of an exclusively Jewish neighborhood adjacent to the suburb of Talpiot and Kibbutz Ramat Rahel, both within the Green Line. It incorporates primarily barren land on which Ethiopian and Russian immigrants had been housed temporarily in mobile homes. Highly significant – but a fact that is ignored – is that nearly half of the construction was designated to provide housing for Arabs. Construction permits were approved two years ago, but it was the far-left group Peace Now that saw fit to highlight the issue in a press release on the eve of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with US President Barack Obama in a calculated effort to embarrass the prime minister and provoke tension.
The successive statements by both the White House and State Department spokesmen must be considered among the most bitterly prejudiced and unbalanced condemnations of Israel ever expressed by the US. They make a mockery of repeated claims by the Obama administration that it considers Israel to be a close ally.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest stated, “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.”
US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki took it even a step further and said that these construction plans would “call into question Israel’s ultimate commitment to a peaceful negotiated settlement with the Palestinians.” This outrageous remark will be seen as an attempt by Obama to reassure Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that he would still stand by the Palestinians, despite condemnation of Abbas’ disgusting UN speech, which was also a slap in the face of the US This was clearly a crafted position. The US is fully aware that the location of this construction is in the heart of Jerusalem’s Jewish neighborhoods and will always remain under Jewish sovereignty. It also conveniently overlooks the fact that this particular project was to include Arab housing.
To compound matters, the administration also condemned the legitimate purchase of seven residential homes by Jews in the Silwan neighborhood of Jerusalem. In so doing the Obama administration is endorsing the PA’s policy of preventing Jews from buying homes in Arab-populated areas of Jerusalem. This, despite the fact that Arabs live freely among Jews in west Jerusalem and throughout Israel. The US is therefore validating the “Judenrein” ethnic cleansing policies of Abbas, who had the gall to accuse Israel of being an apartheid state in his recent belligerent UN address.
The US statements unequivocally exhort other countries – including Israel’s “closest allies” – to condemn Israel over this routine municipal construction which, contrary to utterly uninformed allegations, in no way undermines a two-state solution.
Not surprisingly, they have already been echoed by individual European countries and the European Union, which also called “into question Israel’s commitment to a peaceful negotiated settlement.”
They went so far as to convey the message to moderate Arab states that Israel is “poisoning the atmosphere,” discouraging them from reciprocating Netanyahu’s efforts to reach out and develop a new relationship with them.
The bitter attack on Israel for construction in the Jewish neighborhoods of its own capital is unique not only because of the disproportionate ferocity of this public condemnation of an ally, but also when viewed in the broader context. Setting aside the Gaza war and the histrionic attacks against Israel by Abbas at the UN General Assembly, it is impossible to comprehend such a reaction against the backdrop of regional events. Entire countries – Iraq and Syria – are imploding; literally millions have been displaced from their homes and become refugees; over 200,000 were murdered in Syria alone; barbaric decapitations of innocent people which are publicly circulated on the Internet. Yet, it is against the background of this maelstrom that the US sees fit to condemn and isolate its most devoted ally, the sole democratic state in the region and the only place where chaos does not prevail. Why? Because two years ago, the municipality of its capital, Jerusalem, approved a housing project in a Jewish neighborhood (which would also provide housing for Arab residents).
The irrationality and severity of these rebukes of Israel, encouraging other “friends” to join in the condemnation, suggests that Obama remains obsessively determined to force Israel to adopt his approach. And this, despite the events of recent months and his own admission in his UN speech that he had hitherto erred in asserting that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was a major impediment to regional stability.
No responsible Israeli government could ever contemplate acquiescing to such demands. We must never apologize for building homes in Jewish Jerusalem and there is an element of insanity in the US condemning us for doing so.
Netanyahu speaks on this matter on behalf of the entire nation. This is not the approach of a particular government. It reflects the consensus – other than the extreme left-wing Meretz and marginal post-Zionist groups. This is a time for us to stand up and be counted. Opposition leader MK Isaac Herzog should speak up as a genuine Labor Zionist leader and state that his party is at one with the government regarding construction in Jerusalem.
Should he fail to do so, he will be turning his back on the Labor Zionist ideals of Israel’s founders and his Labor party will become a discredited, delusional left-wing marginal group.
The response of the American Jewish leadership is also crucial. They have until now displayed a reticence to respond publicly to biased statements on Israel expressed by Obama. But this will put them to the test. If the leaders fail to speak out against such a vicious attack, which effectively encourages other countries to join in exerting pressure on Israel, it will be perceived as dramatic erosion of their political influence and their community standing.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee should now actively launch a public information campaign, speak out robustly about Israel’s rights in Jerusalem and make a concerted effort to canvass support from members of Congress.
If Obama can behave in such a contemptuous manner towards Israel five weeks before congressional elections, one is left with a chilling feeling that we may see even more unfortunate initiatives during the remaining term of office of this president who seeks to distance himself from Israel as he simultaneously engages with rogue states and appears determined to rehabilitate Iran.
“...all sectors of American society.”
Huh ?
I wish that the News readers, talking heads and the Bill O’Reilly’s etc. would quit glossing over the facts that are evident to anyone with half a brain ( takes in all liberals) that OBAMA is not the least interested in promoting any American values. His background, his actions, his writings, his voting and his spoken words have all demonstrated this fact. Why keep saying stuff like, “If he would only.....”? He won’t. Its not where he wants to go. Never! Ever! Call him out! Damn it! Do your job.
ditto
Exactly right. Satan & his demonic cohorts hate Isreal, and so does Obama because the Jews are God's chosen people and most liberals hate God Himself.
(Genesis 12:1-3)"Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”
God doesn't go back on His promises, Israel will be a great nation long after Obama and his God-hating ilk are dead and gone.
The US was founded by Christian patriots as a Christian nation. There is a vast amount of historical evidence for that fact, but today's liberals and atheists (usually one and the same) will deny that incontrovertible fact to their very last breath.
..................
Obama speaks from his heart. A shame he couldn't get Rev. Wright into the cabinet.
The author’s imagination. Though there may be support for his release across the political spectrum, there’s opposition also. It’s not really an issue. Most Americans, thus “sectors”, wouldn’ have a clue who he is.
Doesn’t it say that the nation that blesses the Jews God will bless?
We are so screwed.
NY Jew assaulted outside Maccabi TA game in Brooklyn (Pro-Palestinians beat local Jewish leader)
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