White House Blasts Israel’s New Settlement Construction

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Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 2:33 pm

Contrary to nearly a year of stern insistence from the Obama administration that Israel refrain from all growth in occupied Palestinian territory — an insistence that frayed with a recent comment by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton that the administration has tried to walk back — Israel has announced the construction of 900 new homes for settlers in Palestinian East Jerusalem. According to the BBC, special envoy George Mitchell specifically requested Israeli Prime Minister yesterday to stop this wave of construction, in the Gilo neighborhood of the city Israelis claim as their undivided capitol.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs just released this statement:

We are dismayed at the Jerusalem Planning Committee’s decision to move forward on the approval process for the expansion of Gilo in Jerusalem. At a time when we are working to re-launch negotiations, these actions make it more difficult for our efforts to succeed. Neither party should engage in efforts or take actions that could unilaterally pre-empt, or appear to pre-empt, negotiations. The U.S. also objects to other Israeli practices in Jerusalem related to housing, including the continuing pattern of evictions and demolitions of Palestinian homes. Our position is clear: the status of Jerusalem is a permanent status issue that must be resolved through negotiations between the parties.

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Comments

13 Comments

brendanm
Comment posted November 17, 2009 @ 2:37 pm

Ethnic cleansing deserves a stronger response than that, but it is certainly better than silence.


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strangely_enough
Comment posted November 17, 2009 @ 6:21 pm

And yet the flow of money and bombs continues…


colindale
Comment posted November 17, 2009 @ 6:31 pm

The Presidency of the European Union expressed grave concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza on Tuesday 17 November.

The European Union remains gravely concerned by the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Calls for urgent measures have not been sufficiently answered.
The European Union continues to urge that prompt and concrete measures be taken to solve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to allow for reconstruction and economic recovery.
The European Union notes with concern that the situation on the ground has not improved since January 2009. The continued policy of closure, which has been in place since 2007, has devastated the private sector economy and further damaged the natural environment.
The poor water quality is particularly worrying. The essential reconstruction of homes, schools and health facilities to which the international community, including the European Union committed itself at the Donors Conference in Sharm el Sheikh, is still prevented. While extremists stand to gain from the current situation, the plight becomes worse for the civilian population, half of which are children.
The European Union reiterates its calls for an immediate and unconditional opening of crossings for the flow of humanitarian aid, commercial goods and persons to and from Gaza. The Agreement of Movement and Access of 2005 should be implemented. The EU urges Israel to facilitate the transfer of material and financial resources into Gaza for the implementation of the UN Pilot Projects. The EU calls for the full implementation of UNSCR 1860.


S. Lewis
Comment posted November 17, 2009 @ 6:36 pm

Finally, the Obama administration realizes it is the Palestinian's Al Qaeda identiacl radical islamic ideology, that which is taught in schools, media and mosques, that is the stumbling block to a permanent peace. Those of us that are not yet clued in can review Palestinian Media Watch, the web site which tracks what Palestinians (all factions) say to one another vs what they say to the US and the rest of the West.


brendanm
Comment posted November 17, 2009 @ 10:35 pm

Yeah, Congress isn't going to cut off aid to the bastards. They're not even capable of cutting off pensions to former members in prison.


brendanm
Comment posted November 17, 2009 @ 10:40 pm

You're right. A far-right, racist Israeli government that insists upon continuing their policy of ethnic cleansing and colonization has nothing to do with it.


TG
Comment posted November 18, 2009 @ 2:33 pm

Cut the aid by 35% and reduce military assistance by 50% until the Israeli equivalent of GW Bush – Netanyahu – gets his act together and withdraws the proposal for the new settlement.

The Israelis are now exactly like the people who use to persecute them. Instead of looking for ways to live with their neighbors, they prefer to constantly antagonize them.

If they could just stop rehashing the same old World War II anger and look forward instead of living continuously in the past and constantly reminding the world about the holocaust, maybe they'd be able to move forward. They will never be able to live in peace until they forgive and forget.

As an American, I'm sick and tired of supporting an Israeli state that is hard right-wing and unwilling to compromise. Pull the support and watch them beg like little babies..they need to be humbled.


watch friends online
Comment posted November 27, 2009 @ 2:13 am

I will bookmark and continue reading your blog in the future! Thanks alot for the informative post!

Thanks
jenny martin
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Construction Jobs In Dubai
Comment posted January 28, 2010 @ 10:37 pm

I thought Obama had said he disagree with violence and war and now he is threatening them?


Construction Jobs In Dubai
Comment posted January 29, 2010 @ 3:37 am

I thought Obama had said he disagree with violence and war and now he is threatening them?


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