The Guardian reports: Israel has submitted plans to build the first big Jewish settlement in the occupied territories in 25 years, in a move condemned as an “assassination” of attempts to revive peace negotiations.
A leading Israeli peace group, Peace Now, denounced the plan to build 2,600 homes at Givat Hamatos on the southern edge of Jerusalem as a “game changer” because it would virtually cut off the Arab east of the city from the rest of the occupied West Bank.
The UN, the EU and Britain joined the Palestinians in condemning the move as provocative at a time when the major powers are struggling to rekindle negotiations while the Palestinian bid for statehood is still before the UN security council.
The Palestinian leadership, which has said there can be no new talks if settlement building continues, said the plans were further evidence that Israel “wants to destroy the peace process”.
Givat Hamatos would form a big part of the crescent of Jewish settlements which, in parallel with the West Bank wall and fence, has increasingly isolated East Jerusalem from the rest of the occupied territories. Israeli peace activists say the intention is to solidify Israel’s claim to all of Jerusalem and to minimise the amount of the city ceded to an independent Palestine. Work could begin as early as next year.
Obama is grabbing his ankles and hoping for the best as– no matter how powerless Netanyahu feels before his former Soviet cabinet– Obama has to take it in deep with a smile because he is an empty campaign suit who will wonder how many times be can play with the dog next term before he has to actually make a non-political statesmanship decision. At some point Americans will learn what European already realize about Israel: that the Zionazis from Russia see themselves as Afrikaners. For this we supported the Soviet Jewry Campaign in the 60s, 70s and 80s?
RE: “Israel plans new settlement of 2,600 homes that will isolate Arab East Jerusalem”
MY COMMENT: We will probably see many more actions like this to foreclose any possibility of a two-state solution. He will especially take these steps while Obama can be used in a sense as a “human shield” during the period leading up to next year’s presidential election. Obama (and therefore, the U.S.) will essentially be held hostage by Israel during this period.
Squeal like a stuck pig, Obama. Squeal! Squeal louder!
P.S. SEE: Daniel Day Lewis gets baptized in “There will be blood” (VIDEO, 04:36) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOuzTWgWBcA