Friday, October 29, 2010
Now that the midterms are approaching their conclusion, the Obama Administration is stepping up pressure on Israel, as I predicted.
According to Asharq al-Awsat the US wants Israel to lease the Jerusalem neighborhoods of French Hill, Ramat Eshkol and other Jerusalem neighborhoods from the Palestinian Authority for 60 to 99 years, thus recognizing 'Palestinian ownership' of half of Jerusalem.
This is reportedly a US response to Israeli insistence that Obama honor US guarantees made by George W. Bush to Israel the Obama Adminsitration has so far reneged on. In a letter to Ariel Sharon as a provisio for Sharon signing on to the Roadmap in April 2oo4, Bush stated that a number of long-established Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria (AKA the West Bank) would remain part of Israel in any peace settlement with the 'Palestinians'.
Even if the Israelis were stupid enough to knuckle under to this, ( and Netanyahu has no political backing to accept it even if he wanted to) the Palestinians would never accept it, since it would amount to a land swap - which Abbas has already ruled out. Not a single concession, remember?
And what would the Israelis gain anyway? Who would want to live in, build or purchase property that was going to be under the 'Palestinians' thumb in a few years - assuming they actually kept an agreement for once? Would any of the current Jewish residents of East Jerusalem be safe from 'Palestinian' efforts to speed the takeover using terrorism?
And on the Israeli side, not only would Netanyahu lack any political backing for 'leasing' Jerusalem, he doesn't even have any backing for continuing the building freeze.
Meanwhile, the Jews living in Judea and Samaria are continuing to build. And have children.
Th eworld belongs to the stubborn.
Selah.
