The freeze is officially over. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has authorized a construction bid for 240 new housing units in the northeastern Jerusalem neighborhoods of Pisgat Ze'ev and Ramo.
The project was included in a Construction and Housing Ministry tender which listed 3,500 housing units across Israel. As you know, Israel unilaterally imposed a temporary building freeze on communities in Judea and Samaria(AKA the West Bank) at the Obama Administration's request as an incentive to get the 'Palestinians' to enter direct peace negotiations last November.
The Obama Administration had proposed a two month extension by the Israelis and had offered certain incentives that Netanyahu ultimately rejected as insufficient, but he then offered to make a proposal to his cabinet in exchange for the 'Palestinians' formally recognizing Israel as a Jewish state.
They angrily refused, which shows how serious they were about actually negotiating anything in the first place - so the bulldozers are rolling.
The US officially expressed 'disappointment' about the new building, but one of my notorious Little Birdies told me that the Israelis informed the Americans in advance about this and that the Americans raised no serious objections except to ask that the number of permits in Jerusalem be scaled back a little in order to allow the US diplomats to continue trying to salvage the negotiations.
I can't imagine why they're bothering.The 'Palestinians' never had any intention of making any concessions or agreements anyway, and they said so from day one.
Good.
ReplyDeleteThis should make paleo-stinians see that their childish islamic behaviour won't give then no treats.
So the kabuki is over. Tuck the Playbill under your arm; take a cab home and get some sleep. Tomorrow is another day...
ReplyDelete