Israel angers U.S. by approving new West Bank homes

I've copied and pasted a letter I've sent to the UK foreign office here to express my views on the subject, if anyone's interested.

HM Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH

Dear Sir or Madam,

I have followed events in the Middle East for some time with great interest. As a pluralist, liberal democracy Israel deserves Britain’s support. That said it is right that we should maintain pressure on the Israeli government to work towards a permanent situation that is amenable to all people in the region and I congratulate the Government on its efforts to bring this about, which I appreciate is a fine balancing act.

It seems that now, more than ever before, there is a unique and historical opportunity for a lasting and just peace to be forged between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. On the one hand there is a Palestinian Authority that is hugely dependent on Western assistance and that remains unwilling to resume negotiations. On the other there is an Israeli government that is repeatedly calling for peaceful negotiations “without preconditions”. This, combined with record support amongst the Israeli populace for a resumption of peace talks, represents a window of opportunity that we have seldom seen before.

Given these facts it seems extremely clear to me which party the West should be applying pressure to in this unique situation. Were the UK and US governments to appeal to Mr Abbas and the Palestinian Authority to take their place in history, to lead their people to independence, self-determination and dignity, great things could be accomplished. Within our lifetimes we could see the creation of an independent Palestinian State that enjoys peaceful relations with Israel and the backing and goodwill of the vast majority of people on this planet. Such a message would undoubtedly strengthen moderate forces within the Palestinian Authority, and indeed within the Hamas as well.

This opportunity will not last forever. I doubt very much that the passage of time will make such negotiations any easier, and the current respite from violence will not be a permanent state of affairs.

And yet, I read this morning that the Foreign Office is once again criticising the Israeli authorities for allowing the building of apartment blocks in Jerusalem, while apparently doing little (at least publicly) to pressure the Palestinian Authority to resume talks. To me this seems utterly counterproductive – it reinforces Mr Abbas’s claim that Jewish building is the principle obstacle to peace, when to any objective observer it would be much fairer to say that Mr Abbas’s refusal to enter peace talks is the principle obstacle to peace talks.

I applaud your continued efforts in this difficult and emotive area of foreign policy, and I understand fully that there are many aspects which need to be considered, not least of which is the negative effect that violence in the Middle East has on our own country and community relations here.

I implore you to concentrate on publicly and vociferously appealing to Mr Abbas and the Palestinian Authority to enter peaceful negotiations with the Israelis.

Yours sincerely,

Matt Pryor

reply to post by mattpryor


That's a good approach to get your views to the govt. Not that I agree with what most of you wrote, I mean the method.

America being angry with Israel is purely a "Smile for the press" tactic. After all America is just an annex of Israel anyway. Its run by Israelis, who decide the aid to give to Israel. I dont know why dont we change the name of the once great US of A in to " Bigger Israel"?


Respects

Update to this scenario

Gideon Levy, one of the prominent Israeli journalists working with Ha'aretz speaks to The Real News' Lia Tarachansky about Israel's addiction to the occupation of the Palestinian Territories. He says there are two ways to deal with a drug addict, you can either help them get more drugs, and this may be perceived as care, but it is not friendship. A real friend helps the drug addict get over their addiction. Levy says the Jewish lobby has decided to take the former route, but he is hoping that the United States and the Obama Administration will take the latter.

Addicted to Occupation

“I think that Israel needs an adult who will save it from its own addiction to the occupation. … I think that this balance of power, this really twisted relationship between the United States and Israel, which is unprecedented—there’s no country in the world that reacts like Israel vis-à-vis the United States vis-à-vis independence from the United States—I think that this is not a healthy pattern. Israel is addicted to the occupation because it benefits a lot from the occupation economically and politically, and above all because it doesn’t pay any price for the occupation.” Ha’aretz journalist Gideon Levy in a Real News interview characterizes Israel as a drug addict who needs outside help in the form of pressure.

One can either help them get more drugs, as the US at the behest of the Jewish likudist lobby has done in this analogy, and this may be propagated as care, he says, but it is not real friendship. Levy hopes that the Obama Administration will offer some tough love, because “someone has to push Israel, and the only actor who can push Israel is the United States. This can only happen with American pressure” .

With a solid ZOG and the zionist entity encroaching with 900 new illegal housing units in a South Jerusalem outpost beyond the green line, it ain’t going to happen anytime soon. (Transcript over the fold, h/t ICH).

Gideon Levy:
“I know there is a change in the Jewish community in the United States, but it’s too little and too late. Still the conservative establishment, the conservative Jewish establishment, is so powerful, and I don’t see signs that it’s losing its power. J Street is a wonderful initiative, very promising, but still the power of AIPAC, of Anti-Defamation League, and other organizations is still very, very strong. And I don’t think it’s a question of months or years that this will change dramatically. Israel is so much not willing to make peace, someone has to push Israel, and the only actor who can push Israel is The United States.”

This is a show, it's being reported by Fox News, ABC News, Reuters pretty much everyone.

But as far as i'm concerned it's all a show.
I am interested to see where this will end up though.

Why is the American taxpayer busting his rear end to support a country which is constantly asking for handouts and provides absolutely nothing in return for the average taxpayer? Because they have the right to exist? There are a bunch of other poorer countries out there which also have the right to exist and you do not see the US Government giving them a dime.

How about putting that money into creating jobs and affordable housing and services for tax paying Americans? What the US Government is doing is the equivalent of starving your own family so you could feed some freeloading strangers who only really give a damn about your wallet, not you.

@ the hollow words and threats from Washington

If "we" were REALLY angry, we would cut off all aid immediately and take other measures that would sting Israel

Israel will continue to pull their pants down and shake themselves right in the face of the United States and we will do nothing because Israel has this country by the gonads.

It's the cowardly behavior of the US government towards this country, who continues to act like a spoiled child in a sandbox that can't play nice with the other children around them, that fuels this nonsense.

reply to post by SevenThunders

it sometimes feel great to hit the Ignore button Just my 20th post. star & flag !

This is all I have to say


Enjoy.

The mentality of IDF is the same as that ignorant police officer who tazed that 10 year old girl. The IDF are child killers and America is also killing the children of palastine by proxy. The American taxes go to Irail and that money is used to hem in the civilans of Gaza and slaughter them, the attacts on civilans on both sides are dredfull but the IDF have the children of Gaza in their crooshairs. I can not beleave that some people try to legitimise the actions of the IDF. The Zionist creeps who started this have so many deaths on their hands that hell wiil be hard pushed to find a punishment for them and any one who plays with words and minipulation will not get no leway in hell.

Evil will prevail when few good men and women choose to do nothing.

reply to post by SevenThunders


That's exactly why religion and beliefs should be erased from peoples minds. I wish they could invent a flu for that.

If any one wants to know the unbias truth then you should listen to George Galloway, He's alover youtube. This man is one of the voices humanity has of common sense and wisdom, I am sure these people of wisdom will get through the vast majority of us in time to stop us going through the point of no return. There is only a matter of time before the people of the world says no to the killing of their women and children.

Stop this madness and start rebulid the life every man and woman wants on earth.

reply to post by thomas_


Don't say that too loud you might give them ideas.
Religion is a very good thing for humanity, but it's the scumbags that dicate religion to people that are the problem, whether it's the cristians, jews and muslims. They are all good religions, if you followed your life by the books of god then you will be cool but it's when we some people try and manipulate the word of God then all hell breaks loose.
cool

I ment the last post to be to s thunder.

a bit confused?

Originally posted by SyphonX
reply to post by SevenThunders

 

Children of God do not use white phosphorous on children and babies. Poor, poor Israel...

I guess you've never read the old testament. Maybe not white phosphorous, but they have wiped out many populations in that part of the world with no regard for whether the vicitms were babies or senile old women.

The U.S. christian element supports Israel's conduct under the banner of "manifest destiny". Everything else is just window dressing to divert your attention from what's really going on.

[edit on 11/18/2009 by dubiousone]

I wonder whos' tax dollars are at work into building these new homes... HMMMMMM. I say the guys in the white house needs to MAN UP and stop getting pushed around by these people. I mean come on enough is enough how the heck are you going to feel about your self at the end of the day knowing your whole life you been raised as a lapdog/puppet to these people!? But the jokes on US.

Good for Israel. Screw the USA. Like we would let some other country tell us what to do?
Israel needs to keep building and probably nuke Iran while they are at it and get it over with. If the Palestinians want the west bank then let them come get it. Bunch of cry babies.

Originally posted by jsmappy
Good for Israel. Screw the USA. Like we would let some other country tell us what to do?
Israel needs to keep building and probably nuke Iran while they are at it and get it over with. If the Palestinians want the west bank then let them come get it. Bunch of cry babies.

You are one of truly ignorent people of the world, you are willing to spill the blood of every one but your own. fooooooooooooool

reply to post by jsmappy


Oh dear, nothing like nailing your colours to the mast eh? Even if those colours are tainted with the blood and burned bodies of children who are walled in, starved and ignored by the sad world we now live in.

No respects

Originally posted by kingmonkey
This is the most ill-informed lot of nonsense I have ever read on here! Israel offered land and jobs to the Palestinians who repaid them with missiles into schools? Are you in touch with reality at all?

Your glorification in the slaughter of 30,000 Palestinians says everthing!

That's because the intention of their post from the get-go was to cause misdirection, and pull attention away from Israel doing anything wrong.


I'm sure the good-ole US will show just how ANGRY they are by sending them a squadron of F-16s or a few billion in "non-secure loans"