The flap intensifies over Israel’s announcement of
plans to build 1600 new homes in East Jerusalem. After strenuous objection from Joe Biden and the State Department , Prime Minister Netanyahu apologized for the timing of the announcement but not for the substance, telling the Israeli Parliament that construction of Jewish housing in Jerusalem was not a matter for negotiation.
The New York Times quotes a senior administration official as saying, “What happened to the vice president in Israel was unprecedented. Where it goes from here depends on the Israelis.” But the Israelis seem intent on continuing to expand into East Jerusalem and more broadly into the West Bank.
The U.S. is in a difficult position, caught between the uncompromising Israeli ally on one side and the rest of the world on the other. Meanwhile the condition of the Palestinians inflames passions across the Muslim world and fuels anti-American terrorism.
Into the breach unhelpfully steps Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT…or is it I-Israel?).
“Let’s cut the family fighting. It’s unnecessary; it’s destructive of our shared national interest. It’s time to lower voices, to get over the family feud between the U.S. and Israel. It just doesn’t serve anybody’s interests but
our enemies’.”
Who are the enemies Lieberman’s referring to? The forces of terrorism, certainly. But also Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey, the rest of the Arab world, most of Europe. They may be Lieberman’s enemies, but let’s hope they don’t become America’s.
Tags: anti-American, apology, Arab world, construction, East jerusalem, Egypt, Indonesia, Israel, Joe Biden, Jordan, Muslim world, Netanyahu, Pakistan, Palestinians, Saudi Arabia, State Department, terrorism Lieberman, Turkey, West Bank
Ethics Bob 
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