By putting the issue at the center of today’s article, NYT is subtly pressuring Barack to show American “ire” with Israel.
Speaking of economic and political interaction between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Cooper describes the prospect as “a tall order for the Arab kingdom, which has, thus far, eschewed taking much of a role that could be seen as acknowledging Israel.”
For a moment, readers must reflect on this point, one which demonstrates the unrelenting intransigence of Saudi Arabia. Having considered it, one can hardly believe that Barack's stance on Israeli settlements is the key factor to Middle East peace.
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June 1, 2009 | Eli E. Hertz
ReplyDelete"A corollary of the inalienable right of the Jewish people to its Land is the right to live in any part of Eretz Yisrael, including Judea and Samaria which are an integral part of Eretz Yisrael. Jews are not foreigners anywhere in the Land of Israel. Anyone who asserts that it is illegal for a Jew to live in Judea and Samaria just because he is a Jew, is in fact advocating a concept that is disturbingly reminiscent of the 'Judenrein' ['Clean of Jews'] policies of Nazi Germany banning Jews from certain spheres of life for no other reason than that they were Jews. The Jewish villages in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza district are there as of right and are there to stay.
"The right of Jews to settle in the Land of Israel was also recognised in the League of Nations 'Mandate for Palestine' which stressed 'the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine and ... the grounds for reconstituting' - I repeat, reconstituting 'their national home in that country'.
"The Mandatory Power was also entrusted with the duty to encourage 'close settlement by Jews on the land, including state lands and waste lands not required for public purposes.'"[1]
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The U.S. Administration decision to rewrite history by labeling the Territories 'Occupied Territories', and the 'Settlements an obstacle to peace' thus endowing them with an aura of bogus statehood and a false history. The U.S. Administration' use of these dishonest, loaded terms empowers terrorism and incites Palestinian Arabs with the right to use all measures to expel Israel.
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[1] The words of Dr. Yehuda Z. Blum, former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations. June 11 , 1979
I think what needs analysis is the Times' phraseology. Here, does "any expansion of Israeli settlements" refer to building new homes in existing settlements without expanding its boundaries? If so, it's a misleading phrase.
ReplyDeleteObama, later, mentions that Israel needs to "stop the settlements". What exactly does this mean?
“There are things that could get the attention of the Israeli public,”
Right, the Israeli public that voted for this government and its positions?
"...getting impatient with the slow movement toward Palestinian statehood."
To be honest, many of us are.