Love of the Land: How Quick They Forget: A Short History of U.S. Policy and Israeli Construction in East Jerusalem

How Quick They Forget: A Short History of U.S. Policy and Israeli Construction in East Jerusalem

Barry Rubin
The Rubin Report
14 March '10

For more than four months the U.S. government has been celebrating Israel agreeing to stop construction on settlements in the West Bank while continuing building in east Jerusalem as a great step forward and Israeli concession deserving a reward. Suddenly, all of this is forgotten to say that Israel building in east Jerusalem is some kind of terrible deed which deserves punishment.

Israelis are used to this pattern: give a big concession and a few months later that step is forgotten as Israel is portrayed as intransigent and more concessions are demanded with nothing in return. Here is a short history of this round:

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Love of the Land: How Quick They Forget: A Short History of U.S. Policy and Israeli Construction in East Jerusalem

Love of the Land: [Time to take the gloves off] U.S. to Palestinians: We will offer our own bridging proposals and assign blame if Israel-PA talks fail

[Time to take the gloves off] U.S. to Palestinians: We will offer our own bridging proposals and assign blame if Israel-PA talks fail

Dr. Aaron Lerner
IMRA
06 March '10

It isn't going to be easy.

But it is definitely doable.

But we can't make it through the assault that is being orchestrated with our
hands tied behind our backs.

The Arabs (and the Israelis who are confident that if we would just give the
Arabs what they want there would be utopian peace) are going to slam both
our positions and just as important the leadership representing these
positions at every opportunity.

And what about us?

Will Mahmoud Abbas continue to be off limits?

Will the involvement of the PA in incitement be ignored?

Will we, for example, continue to find ourselves dealing with condemnation for police activity on the Temple Mount instead of taking the offensive and slamming Arab violence on the Temple Mount at every possible forum?]

Exclusive: U.S. vows to assign blame if Israel-PA talks fail
By Akiva Eldar, Haaretz Correspondent Last update - 19:59 05/03/2010

The United States government has committed to playing a role in indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and promised that if the talks were to fail, the U.S. will assign blame and take action, according to a document sent by the U.S. to the Palestinian Authority, which Haaretz obtained on Friday.

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Love of the Land: [Time to take the gloves off] U.S. to Palestinians: We will offer our own bridging proposals and assign blame if Israel-PA talks fail