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US Consul Puts Foot in Mouth
By Micah Halpern

Friday September 12, 2008

I've Been Thinking:

The US Consul General in Jerusalem answers directly to the Secretary of State. Even though the US Ambassador to Israel is posted in Tel Aviv, the position of Consul General is like that of an Ambassador.

Yesterday John Walles, the United States Consul General in Jerusalem, did what diplomats call putting your foot in your mouth.
Or maybe it was intentional and planned.

In an interview with the Palestinian newspaper Al Ayam, Walles said that in a deal spearheaded by the United States, in conjunction with Israel and the Palestinian Authority, it was agreed upon to give East Jerusalem to the Palestinians. He said that the news should be made public and that, in essence, it was a done deal.
Even if it is a done deal, Al Ayam is hardly the forum to make the announcement.

The Israelis saw red.
They reacted by saying that Jerusalem is not even on the table. And when it is in the table, there will be a special committee to deal with it.

Walles was creating a new status quo for the Palestinians.
The Consul General was most certainly acting on the advice of Washington, he is not a news making type person and it is not a news making type position.
What it was, was certainly not very diplomatic and as the kids say, "not nice!"

Now Israel and the US have an insurmountable problem.
How do you create incentives for Palestinian leadership to tow any line once they know that under any and all circumstances Jerusalem will be delivered?

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http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=1595550739

4 June 2017 12:14 PM in Thoughts


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