Israel Matzav: Yoffie urges moratorium on Jewish building in 'east' Jerusalem

Yoffie urges moratorium on Jewish building in 'east' Jerusalem

Reform movement leader rabbi Eric Yoffie called on Thursday for a moratorium on Jewish building in 'east' Jerusalem.

"The Union for Reform Judaism, like most American Jewish organizations, supports a united Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty," the URJ president said. "This means that we believe housing units constructed in Jerusalem by Israel are not settlements and they are not illegal. But a great many things that are legal are not prudent or wise – and building in Arab sections of Jerusalem in the current political climate is one of those things."

Yoffie recommended the moratorium as a means of easing tensions with the United States sparked last week when Israel announced a major building start in Jerusalem during a visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden aimed at showing U.S.-Israel unity. The announcement also led the Palestinian Authority to pull back from planned renewed peace talks.

"Surely no opportunity to move toward an enduring settlement must be squandered," he said. "I hope that the government of Israel will see the declaration of a temporary moratorium on building in East Jerusalem as a means of seizing the initiative, deepening her ties with America, rallying her allies around the world, and challenging the Palestinians and Arab world to come forward with confidence-building steps of their own."

Sorry, but no. Temporary has a knack of being extended and becoming permanent. And there is no reason Israel should accept any restrictions on building in its capital city because President Obumbler threw a tantrum. That's absurd!

Israel Matzav: Yoffie urges moratorium on Jewish building in 'east' Jerusalem