Sunday March 14, 2010

I've Been Thinking:

Hillary Clinton called Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on the carpet the other day.

And Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador to Washington, was invited for a formal dress down.

It was to be expected.
It was the response of the United States to Israel's announcement that 1600 new apartments are to be built in a neighborhood outside Jerusalem, a neighborhood on the other side of the pre '67 border.

The announcement was just a matter of when.
When would the White House and the State Department call?
It was obvious what they would say.

This is by no means the first time, nor will it be the last time, that Israel and the United States are in conflict on the subject of settlement expansion in Jerusalem.

It was the timing of the announcement that was problematic - not the content.
It was timed to coincide with the visit of US Vice President Joe Biden to Israel.
It was timed to derail the resumption of indirect talks between Israelis and Palestinians.

It is about conflict within Israel, not about Israel's conflict with either the Palestinians or the United States.

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