JERUSALEM – Israeli media reported Monday that the U.S. is pressing Israel to scrap a contentious east Jerusalem building project whose approval has touched off the most serious diplomatic feud with Washington in years.
Top U.S. officials have lined up in recent days to condemn the Israeli plan to build 1,600 apartments in east Jerusalem, the sector of the holy city that the Palestinians claim for their future capital.
The project caused a storm in Washington because it was announced during Vice President Joe Biden's visit to the region last week, badly embarrassing the U.S. and complicating its efforts to restart Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. The Palestinians immediately threatened not to join upcoming U.S.-brokered talks meant to jumpstart negotiations after a 14-month breakdown.
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ReplyDeletePresident Obama has really shown us that he doesn't care for the only democracy in the Middle East. Which is a shame because we really like the US!
ReplyDeleteFor a country that is smaller than New Jersey (and Burundi, Djibouti and Equatorial Guinea) we sure do have a large amount of 'focus' from the US government. And the EU and the UN.
As your title states, maybe all of those august bodies should leave us to decide our own fate? We are neighbors after all and probably understand each other a lot better than anyone living a long way away ever can.
Thanks for a point of view from somebody that has first hand knowledge of the situation, Jumblerant.
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