THIS IS A MESS AND THE US/EU/QUARTED ARE PUSHING ISRAEL AND GOD IS NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY


Biden blights US-Israel relations, causes Netanyahu-Barak breach
DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis March 12, 2010, 1:24 PM (GMT+02:00)


Joe Biden meets Binyamin Netanyahu in JerusalemThe fallout from the US Vice President Joe Biden's 48 hours in Israel undid a year of effort by the Netanyahu government to build a foreign policy and an understanding with Washington as the bedrock of a coordinated proactive policy on Iran, debkafile's exclusive sources report.

Instead of ironing out misunderstandings which have marred relations, the visitor struck out on his own as America's would-be Middle East policy overlord. Under the unrelenting pressure of the visit and its mishaps, prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his closest ally, defense minister Ehud Barak, almost came to blows.


The announcement approving 1,600 new homes for the existing East Jerusalem suburb of Ramat Shlomo popped out at a particularly unfortunate moment. It may have been meant to mark Israeli resentment over Washington's ineffectual handling of the Iranian nuclear drive. Instead the announcement hit the Israeli prime minister in the face and gave Biden a large whip for beating the Israeli government down.

He was not the only one. Barak, leader of Labor, the senior partner in Netanyahu's Likud-led coalition, ran alongside Biden, both using the Jerusalem housing announcement for intimidating, punishing and bend the prime minister to their will over the Jerusalem housing mishap.


Barak accused Netanyahu of recklessly causing irreparable damage to relations with the Obama administration and wrecking the diplomatic basis for a military strike against Iran's nuclear industry.


The breakdown of the partnership which has dominated Israeli policy-making in the past year is of consequence not only for domestic political equilibrium, but also for the Netanyahu government's world standing


Sources close to these events told debkafile that the prime minister came close to cracking under Barak's onslaught, losing his cool and acting jumpy and confused. He could have calmly ordered the suspension of the 1,600 housing approvals for the four months allotted negotiations with the Palestinians - as he did for an ambitious scheme announced by Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat for Silwan, shortly before Biden's arrival.
He refrained from this step for two reasons:

First, he could not afford to be seen folding under pressure to halt new construction in Jerusalem, although implementation of this particular scheme was at least two years away.
Second, he could not be sure the Interior Minister, ultra-Orthodox Shas leader Ellie Yishai - who holds jurisdiction over the planning commission - would not disobey him and throw the government into crisis. Netanyahu would be finished in his Likud party and much of the country if he lost his government by interrupting construction in Jerusalem, a highly sensitive issue

Caught on the horns of this dilemma, the prime minister hesitated too long, giving the Palestinians a chance to cash in on the accelerating crisis and lay down fresh terms for resuming peace talks. Finally, he decided to pacify the American leader and the defense minister by creating a new mechanism to prejudge all building permits for Jerusalem before they were processed.
By slowing down planning permission for construction, this device will have the effect of extending the West Bank building freeze to Jerusalem as well.

Netanyahu has shown himself to be easy prey for pressure-wielders.
The maelstrom centering the prime minister obscured the cracks in the Obama administration shown up by Biden's handling of his Middle East trip.
He came to the region with three missions: to sweeten US-Israeli relations, celebrate the launching of indirect Israel-Palestinian peace talks and underscore the commonality of US-Israeli purpose on Iran.
In the event, Biden fell down on all three counts, instead launching an independent Middle East posture at odds with the White House's avowed policies.This deviation was expressed in five ways:
1. He hardly ever mentioned Barack Obama in any of his political appearances, preferring to say "we" - in other words, America, which he represented in his visit.
2. While affirming American friendship for Israel and concern for its security, Biden's recurring theme was this: "I can promise the people in Israel that we will confront as allies every security challenge that we will face."
Here, too, "we" - meaning the United States - would define the security challenge and decide how to confront it, an attitude which was deeply resented in Jerusalem.
3. At his lecture to Tel Aviv University Thursday, March 11, before his departure, Biden said: "The United States is resolved to prevent Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon" - a general statement with no commitment.
Until then, he had shunned any mention of Iran at all, but members of his party leaked word that he was leaning hard on Israel to prevent its resort to military action against Iran's nuclear projects, without however offering any commitment on painful sanctions.

Saudi Arabia and its Arab Gulf neighbors got wind of the slugging-match over Iran in Jerusalem over Iran and were alarmed enough to demand clarifications from Washington. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was sent post haste from Kabul to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi with assurances that the Obama administration had not abandoned the road to a showdown with Iran, whether economic or military.
4. The Biden party did not include Middle East envoy George Mitchell, but he did bring Dennis Ross along.
This seemed almost natural in view of Ross's standing in the National Security Council as an expert on Iran.
However, given his long experience in Israeli and Palestinian affairs, the Vice President appeared to have chosen him as his senior adviser for the visit and sidelined presidential envoy Mitchell - yet another significant departure from the policy direction taken by the president and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
5. And finally, instead of smoothing ruffled feathers in Jerusalem with interviews to the host media, Vice President Biden snubbed them all and granted the only interview of his trip to the Arabic Al Jazeera TV, whose news content is sharply slanted against Israel, US military campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and the Western war on terror.
By signing off his Israel visit with an Al Jazeera interview, Joe Biden tells us exactly how he feels about the Jewish state.



UN warns Gaza tunnels must stay

Friday 12 March 2010by Our Foreign Desk

The UN warned on Thursday of an impending humanitarian disaster if Egypt succeeds in blocking the tunnels that pass under its border into the Gaza Strip.

UN humanitarian chief John Holmes said that Gaza’s 1.5 million residents would have difficulty surviving if Egypt succeeds in blocking them because they are a conduit for badly-needed food, medicine and commercial goods.


Mr Holmes, who visited the region for four days earlier this month, repeated calls for Israel to end its blockade of the Palestinian territory.
“If those tunnels were blocked, however undesirable they may be, the situation without the tunnels would be completely unsustainable,” he said.
The Israeli government has repeatedly tried to shut the tunnels down, asserting that they are used to smuggle cash and weapons to the Hamas administration.

Egypt has a fence along Gaza’s southern border and is reinforcing the area with underground metal plates to try to block the tunnels.
Mr Holmes said that it was “very frustrating” to see that the blockade had prevented reconstruction in Gaza since Israel’s devastating three-week assault that ended in January 2009.

“What people in Gaza want to see is the opening of the crossings — not only for goods but for people because they are living in a large open-air prison,” he observed.

Israel has said that it will only consider lifting the blockade if Hamas releases Israeli Sergeant Gilad Shalit, who was captured by Palestinian guerillas in 2006.
Mr Holmes said: “The link between that and the fate of the 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza does not seem to us a reasonable one.”



Clinton warns Israel over settlements
Andrew Quinn
1:33pm EST
Tue, Mar 9 2010
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday his government sent a "deeply negative signal" by taking steps that undermined renewed Middle East peace talks.

Clinton telephoned Netanyahu and expressed frustration over Israel's announcement on Tuesday of new settlement construction, a move that deeply embarrassed visiting U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and imperiled U.S. plans to launch indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Clinton told Netanyahu the announcement was a "deeply negative signal about Israel's approach to the bilateral relationship ... and had undermined trust and confidence in the peace process."

"The secretary said she could not understand how this happened, particularly in light of the United States' strong commitment to Israel's security," Crowley said.

"She made clear that the Israeli government needed to demonstrate not just through words but through specific actions that they are committed to this relationship and to the peace process," he said.The "quartet" of Middle East peace mediators -- the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia -- issued its own condemnation on Friday of the settlement plan and said it would assess the situation at a previously scheduled meeting in Moscow next week.

"The Quartet has agreed to closely monitor developments in Jerusalem and to keep under consideration additional steps that may be required to address the situation on the ground," the group said in a statement, without providing further details.

Clinton, speaking in New York during talks with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said the Moscow meeting would be an opportunity "to take stock of the progress that has been made in moving toward relaunching negotiations."

A REBUKE

Clinton's rebuke of Netanyahu capped a week of tense exchanges between the United States and Israel, which announced it was building 1,600 settler homes in an area of the occupied West Bank it annexed to Jerusalem.

The announcement infuriated the West Bank-based Palestinian leadership, which threatened to pull out of U.S.-brokered indirect "proximity" talks with Israel that Washington hoped would be the first step toward relaunching full peace negotiations after more than a year.

It also embarrassed Biden, who repeated calls for talks despite Palestinian demands that Israel first cancel the settlement project.

Crowley said U.S. Middle East peace envoy George Mitchell and Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman had made numerous calls to regional leaders, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and underscored commitment to the plans for the indirect talks.

Mitchell is due to return to the region next week and U.S. officials hope the indirect talks might begin then.

Israel has so far balked at Palestinian demands that the indirect phase include talk of "final status issues" including the delineation of borders, the fate of Jewish settlements on the West Bank and the status of Jerusalem.

The Obama administration wants indirect talks to cover issues of "consequence" but has yet to spell out publicly what that would entail.

Palestinians have called the settlement announcement a deliberate attempt by Netanyahu to sabotage peace talks in which he could come under pressure to trade land for a deal.

Netanyahu has said he did not know the announcement was coming and castigated his interior minister, while noting that nothing would actually be built in the area for years.

But his relationship with the Obama administration was already under heavy strain, and Clinton made clear that Washington would hold him responsible.

"We accept what Prime Minister Netanyahu has said, but by the same token he is the head of the Israeli government and ultimately is responsible for the actions of that government," Crowley said.
Daniel Levy, director of the Middle East Task Force at the New America Foundation, a Washington think tank, said the Biden visit and the settlement issue might usher in a new dynamic in the U.S.-Israel relationship.

"Perhaps America will present Israel with a real choice and with consequences for recalcitrance. Thus far, that has not been the case," he wrote in a blog for Foreign Policy magazine's website.
(Additional reporting by Megan Davies in New York; Editing by Peter Cooney)

Website: www.csn.hqforums.com

Report: U.S. promises to halt Israeli building in East Jerusalem

By The Associated Press


A Palestinian official told the newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi Saturday that U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell promised Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that the U.S. will bring a halt to Israeli building in East Jerusalem.

"In a telephone conversation, Mitchell said the U.S. would make sure Israel stops building in the area," the Palestinian official told the London based Arabic daily newspaper.
The U.S. has recently expressed frustration over Israel's announcement on Tuesday of new settlement construction, a move that deeply embarrassed visiting U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and imperiled U.S. plans to launch indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.


In an interview with CNN aired Friday night, United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Israel's announcement of new construction of homes in a Jewish neighborhood in East Jerusalem was "insulting" to the United States.
"I mean, it was just really a very unfortunate and difficult moment for everyone -- the United States, our vice president who had gone to reassert our strong support for Israeli security -- and I regret deeply that that occurred and made that known," Clinton said during the CNN interview.

While Clinton did not blame Netanyahu personally for the announcement, she said "He is the prime minister. Like the president or secretary of state ... ultimately, you are responsible."

During a phone call to Netanyahu earlier on Friday, Clinton told Netanyahu that his government sent a "deeply negative signal" by taking steps which undermined renewed Middle East peace talks.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Clinton told Netanyahu the announcement was a "deeply negative signal about Israel's approach to the bilateral relationship ... and had undermined trust and confidence in the peace process."

"The secretary said she could not understand how this happened, particularly in light of the United States' strong commitment to Israel's security," Crowley said.

"She made clear that the Israeli government needed to demonstrate not just through words but through specific actions that they are committed to this relationship and to the peace process," he said.

Clinton's rebuke of Netanyahu capped a week of tense exchanges between the United States and Israel, which on Tuesday announced it was building 1,600 new settler homes in an area of the occupied West Bank it annexed to Jerusalem.

The announcement infuriated the West Bank-based Palestinian leadership, which threatened to pull out of U.S.-brokered indirect "proximity" talks with Israel that Washington hoped would be the first step toward relaunching full peace negotiations after more than a year.

Another senior U.S. official said Friday that Netanyahu's political standing is "perilous" because of divisions within his coalition over efforts to pursue peace with the Palestinians.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, predicted "a dicey period here in the next couple days to a couple of weeks" as Washington tries to get the indirect talks launched.


Quartet condemns Israel: Unilateral action cannot prejudge talks' outcome

In addition to the U.S. condemnation of Israel's announcement, the Quartet of Middle East peacemakers also condemned on Friday Israel's announcement approving new construction in east Jerusalem.

"The Quartet condemns Israel's decision to advance planning for new housing units in east Jerusalem," the statement said. "The Quartet has agreed to closely monitor developments in Jerusalem and to keep under consideration additional steps that may be required to address the situation on the ground."

"Unilateral action by the Israelis or Palestinians cannot prejudge the outcome of (peace) negotiations and will not be recognized by the international community," the statement said.


"The Quartet will take full stock of the situation at its meeting in Moscow on March 19," the statement said.

The Quartet called on all concerned to support the urgent resumption of
dialogue between the parties and to promote an atmosphere that is conducive to successful negotiations to resolve all outstanding issues of the conflict.

The group reiterated that Arab-Israeli peace and the establishment of an
independent, contiguous and viable state of Palestine is in the fundamental interests of the parties, of all states in the region, and of the international community.

ADL 'stunned' by U.S. condemnation of Israel

The U.S. based Anti-Defamation League said late Friday that it was "stunned" by Clinton's "dressing down" of Israel.

"We cannot remember an instance when such harsh language was directed at a friend and ally of the United States," said Abraham Foxman, director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), in a statement.

The ADL called Clinton's remarks a "gross overreaction" to a "policy difference among friends."

"One can only wonder how far the U.S. is prepared to go in distancing itself from Israel in order to placate the Palestinians in the hope they see it is in their interest to return to the negotiating table," Foxman said.



_________________


EU has leverage with Israel on talks - Ashton
SAARISELKA, Finland (Reuters) -

The European Union could use closer trade ties as leverage to urge Israel to resume peace talks with the Palestinians, the EU's top diplomat said on Saturday ahead of a trip to the region. EU high representative for foreign affairs, Catherine Ashton, who begins her first visit to the Middle East on Sunday, said the European Union would be active in getting peace talks to resume and had influence in the issue..13 March 2010 12:59 GMT
By Luke Baker

SAARISELKA, Finland (Reuters) - The European Union could use closer trade ties as leverage to urge Israel to resume peace talks with the Palestinians, the EU's top diplomat said on Saturday ahead of a trip to the region.

EU high representative for foreign affairs, Catherine Ashton, who begins her first visit to the Middle East on Sunday, said the European Union would be active in getting peace talks to resume and had influence in the issue.

"We're a huge supplier of aid and development in that region. We are strong with Israel in terms of trade and Israel wants to enhance its relationship with us, it wants to upgrade relations," she said when asked what leverage the EU could have in talks given that the United States has struggled to be heard.

"Our ambition is that they know -- because they do -- that the solution lies in a negotiated settlement. Our view is that it needs to happen quickly and now, with the opportunity that that affords Israel ... to be able to enhance the relationships it wants with us in any event for the future."
Ashton, who flies to Egypt on Sunday and is due in Israel on Wednesday after stopovers in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, said it was not about withholding Israel's access to EU markets, but about showing what more could be granted if progress was made.

"What we have at the moment is a traditional relationship with Israel, they would like more," she said.

The trip to the Middle East is Ashton's most high-profile diplomatic mission since becoming the EU's high representative last December, succeeding Javier Solana, who focussed much of his time in office on Iran and Middle East negotiations.

Ashton's visit comes at a sensitive time, with the United States expressing frustration with Israel on Friday over plans to build 1,600 settler homes in East Jerusalem, an announcement made while U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden was visiting.
Israel has since apologised for the timing of the announcement, but U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in strongly worded comments on Friday, said it was not the timing of the announcement that was the problem, but the substance.

"The announcement of the settlements on the very day that the vice president was there was insulting," she told CNN.

Ashton, who is holding informal talks with some EU foreign ministers and Turkey's foreign minister in Finland, told reporters she was concerned about Israel's settlement announcement but that the focus should be on getting the Israelis and the Palestinians back on track with talks.

"My view remains that we have to get the talks moving and the solution lies in getting an agreement, and proximity talks are the beginning of that," she said, referring to U.S.-led efforts to get both sides talking indirectly via mediators.Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who is also taking part in the meeting in Finnish Lapland, said he suspected Israel had purposefully made the announcement on new settlements, and said he had doubts about Israel's commitment to peace.

"I would hope the Israelis are still interested in peace although there have been distinctly mixed signals recently," he told reporters.

"I suspect the decision (to announce new settlements) was purposeful. Not by the prime minister but by someone who wanted to send that particular signal when the U.S. vice president was coming. It's certainly coloured the entire relationship in a way that is detrimental to the peace process."
(Reporting by Luke Baker, editing by Philippa Fletcher)




If the Vilna Gaon was right, the 3rd Temple is on its way

By Nir Hasson

Tags: Israel News, 3rd Temple






If the 18th-century rabbinic authority the Vilna Gaon was right, on March 16, 2010, construction will begin on the third Temple. His projection states that the auspicious day will coincide with the third completion of the Hurva Synagogue in Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter.

The great day is at hand: On March 15, the reconstructed Hurva Synagogue, considered the most important house of prayer in Jerusalem will be rededicated. It was last destroyed in the War of Independence.

However, during the reconstruction process, the Hurva has become a bone of contention between ultra-Orthodox and other Jerusalemites.
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The conflict is over what kind of institution the Hurva will be. A group of secular and national-religious Jerusalemites say that if the state does not act quickly, the Hurva will become another ultra-Orthodox synagogue, where women and tourists are unwelcome.

"The government has invested millions in the restoration of the synagogue. It is a place of special value to tourists. The Jewish Quarter has dozens of synagogues and it doesn't need another one," said Tehila Nahlon, an activist.

The debate reflects wider issues of identity facing the Jewish Quarter, which has become increasingly ultra-Orthodox in recent years.

City councilwoman Rachel Azariya said, "The Hurva must not become just another synagogue, and the Jewish Quarter just another Haredi neighborhood."

The Hurva, whose name means "ruin," was initially built by disciples of Rabbi Judah Hahasid in the early 18th century. It was destroyed shortly thereafter by Muslims demanding the return of loans given to build the synagogue. After it was rebuilt in the mid-19th century, it became the most important synagogue in the country, but it was blown up in 1948 by the Jordan Legion a few days before the fall of the Jewish Quarter in the War of Independence.

In 2001, after years of debate, the government decided to restore the building.

The historic building, whose famous dome one more dominates the skyline of the Jewish Quarter, has now been meticulously recreated, including furnishings and wall frescoes.

However, secular and Zionist Orthodox Jerusalemites are concerned that two developments could lead to the synagogue becoming ultra-Orthodox.

The first was the appointment of a rabbi for the synagogue - which happened about three years ago, when it was still a concrete shell - Rehovot's chief rabbi Simcha Hacohen Kook, who is considered close to the ultra-Orthodox non-Hassidic leader Rabbi Yosef Elyashiv. He was chosen by a panel of rabbis, with the blessing of Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar.

"A government company built the synagogue. There are procedures for how people are chosen. They made this choice to prevent the appointment of a Zionist Orthodox rabbi," said Anat Mufkadi, a member of the group concerned about the synagogue. Rabbi Elyashiv reportedly told Haredi journalist Shlomo Kook, the synagogue rabbi's nephew, that the expedited appointment was intended to "stop up gaps," comments understood to mean keeping a Zionist Orthodox rabbi from getting the post.

The CEO of the Jewish Quarter Development Company, which built the syangogue, Nissim Arazi, who said he was surprised by the rabbi's appointment, refused to attend his investiture ceremony three years ago. "It's not clear to me why a rabbi is necessary when there isn't even a synagogue and we don't know who the congregation will be," he told Haaretz a few days ago. However, Arazi said he believes Kook is a worthy candidate.

The second development is that Arazi is soon to be replaced, along with five out of the eight board members of the Jewish Quarter Development Company. By law, the new board members are to be chosen by Housing Minister Ariel Atias, a Shas member. The cabinet has also given the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, a government body headed by the Western Wall rabbi, Shmuel Rabinovich, a say in the choice of the new board members. Under Rabinovich's tenure, some have said the Western Wall area has become more ultra-Orthodox.

The activists say the reconstructed synagogue should present the historical saga of the Jewish Quarter, display archaeological finds unearthed there, and be fully accessible to tourists, men and women together. The group wants to prevent a round-the-clock kollel (yeshiva for married men) from opening there, which would preclude any other activity.

However, for the ultra-Orthodox, the matter is unequivocal: "The question is whether this will be a synagogue and a house of study, or a display of all sorts of foolishness," the Jewish Quarter's rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl said on an ultra-Orthodox Web site.

The journalist, Kook, said: "My uncle is close to all communities, he is not a classic Haredi or a fanatic. He doesn't expect the site to become a Haredi synagogue with 50 prayers a day. He understands that it's a different synagogue. But it's important to him that it be more a synagogue than a museum."

Website: www.csn.hqforums.com

Oren reprimanded by deputy secretary of state Steinberg
By JPOST.COM STAFF
14/03/2010 05:24


Ambassador to the US Michael Oren was summoned on Friday to a meeting with Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, during which the American official reiterated his administration's anger at Israel's announcement of plans for east Jerusalem construction during the visit of Vice President Joe Biden. According to Israel Radio, the conversation with the envoy was "lively," and Steinberg conveyed a message similar to that of Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, who sharply admonished Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu over the plans in a Friday phone conversation.

The radio station reported overnight Saturday that Oren told Steinberg Israel expected the affair to dissipate after Netanyahu's apology over the timing of the announcement.



White House Ups Ante With New Criticism of Israel

FOXNews.com

The White House is raising the stakes in talks with Israel, calling it an "insult" and an "affront" that the Jewish nation would continue plans to build 1,600 new apartments for Jews in east Jerusalem, which Palestinians are seeking as their future capital.

WASHINGTON -- The White House is raising the stakes in talks with Israel, calling it an "insult" and an "affront" that the Jewish nation would continue plans to build 1,600 new apartments for Jews in east Jerusalem, which Palestinians are seeking as their future capital.

Israel announced the construction plans this past week just as Vice President Joe Biden was visiting the region. Biden expressed his displeasure by showing up late to a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in order to issue a statement of condemnation.

The State Department issued a statement on Friday outlining what was described as a stern 45-minute call by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to the prime minister.

On Sunday, President Obama's chief political adviser David Axelrod told ABC's "This Week" that the move undermines the fragile effort to bring peace to the troubled region and called the timing of the announcement "very destructive."
Axelrod would not say what has been discussed in diplomatic talks but suggested the decision by Israel was "calculated to undermine" peace talks with the Palestinians. He added that because Israel is a special ally to the United States "for just that very reason that was not the right way to behave."

But White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Netanyahu's apology on Sunday was a "good start" to rebuild trust, but more needs to be done.

"I think what would be an even better start is coming to the table with constructive ideas for constructive and trustful dialogue about moving the peace process forward," Gibbs said.

"There's no doubt that events like last week weaken the trust that's needed for both sides to come together and have honest discussions about peace in the Middle East. So there's no doubt that that was not a bright spot for the Israeli government."






Netanyahu must choose between ideology and U.S. support

By Aluf Benn


A widely predicted crisis between Israel and the United States upon Benjamin Netanyahu taking office as prime minister finally erupted this weekend.

U.S. President Barack Obama did not hold back in condemning the humiliation caused to Joe Biden with the Israeli announcement of 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem during what was supposed to be the vice president's friendly visit to Israel.

Instead of accepting Netanyahu's partial apology and letting bygones be bygones, Obama issued a stern warning to the Israeli prime minister and is now demanding that he take "specific actions" to show he is "committed" to the U.S.-Israel relationship and to the peace process itself.


Washington did not reveal the contents of the ultimatum or the list of demands reportedly presented to Netanyahu. Those conditions, however, could undermine the prime minister's coalition ties to hard-line right-wing parties like Yisrael Beiteinu and Shas, as well as provoke strong criticism from within his own Likud faction. In case Netanyahu still fails to understand the situation, a U.S. official told Reuters yesterday that the Israeli leader's rightist coalition leaves him in a "perilous" situation.

The prime minister has reached the moment of truth, where he must choose between his ideological beliefs and political cooperation with the right on one hand, and his need for American support on the other.
It is a difficult dilemma. If he comes into conflict with the U.S. administration - hoping his friends in Congress and the Jewish-American community support him in the name of Washington's obligation to the "eternal capital of the Jewish people" - he could jeopardize Israel's security cooperation with the Americans against Iran. Netanyahu knows that the fuel and spare parts for Israel's air force, as well as the warning signals for missiles headed this way, all come from the United States. He also knows that Israel has no other allies with which to face the threat posed by the Islamic Republic. The Obama administration has until now refrained from exerting firm pressure on Netanyahu, fearing it might lead to his coalition's collapse and a political crisis within Israel. High-ranking officials in Washington believe that tightening the terms for a settlement construction freeze in the West Bank and the dismantling of outposts could lead to a deep rift within Israeli society, or even a mutiny within its military.

In November, Netanyahu's government agreed to a temporary freeze on settlement building, but only on condition of the continued development of East Jerusalem. This time around, the prime minister thought he could once again survive the crisis, having apologized to Biden for the "unfortunate timing" of the Interior Ministry's announcement of the construction plan.

Netanyahu did not, however, promise that the housing units in Ramat Shlomo would not be built, or that his government's policy on developing East Jerusalem would change. The construction plan is still pending, he said, and would not be implemented anytime in the next few years.

His adversaries in the Obama administration spotted a perfect opportunity to strike, to teach him a lesson in national honor - taking a leaf out of the diplomatic playbook of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and his deputy, Danny Ayalon. Biden was humiliated in Jerusalem, and America is now returning the favor.

Washington delivered its rebuke to Netanyahu through a number of channels. There was the extended censure by telephone from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a phone call from Biden, the summoning of Israel's ambassador to Washington to the office of Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, the condemnation from the Quartet and, perhaps most important, a media briefing Clinton delivered during a CNN interview which escalated private rebukes into a full-blown public reprimand.

The reproofs were reminiscent of the "low chair diplomacy" the Turkish ambassador to Jerusalem was subjected to by the Israeli Foreign Ministry at the beginning of the year. The media was informed that the conversation between Clinton and Netanyahu lasted 43 minutes, "rather than 10 minutes as usual," and that the prime minister barely uttered a word.

Obama himself reportedly worded the message to be delivered to Netanyahu during his weekly Thursday meeting with Clinton, lest the argument be made that it was merely the secretary of state scolding the Israeli leader, and not the U.S. president himself.

A State Department spokesman described the conversation using phrases which bring to mind a teacher castigating a student, not a working discussion with the leader of a friendly country and ally.

The substance was no less ****ing than the form - Clinton spoke of an "insult" to the United States and of "harming bilateral ties." She could not understand, she said, how such a thing could have been done in light of America's strong obligation to Israel's security. U.S. media interpreted these remarks as suggesting that Washington's military support for Israel is hardly unconditional.

Clinton dismissed Netanyahu's explanation that the decision to approve the housing plan was made without his knowledge, reminding him that as prime minister he is responsible for his government's actions.

The statements from the United States were publicized Friday evening - Shabbat - while Israel was officially unable to respond, therefore affording the White House a media exclusive. The instinctive reaction from Netanyahu and his associates was to accuse Washington of a diplomatic ambush, to simply rely on the support of his backers in the United States. Indeed, Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, was the first to charge the White House with "humiliating" the Israeli prime minister.

This week presents Netanyahu with a difficult decision. He may choose to visit Washington as planned to speak at the AIPAC conference, which would embarrass the preeminent pro-Israel lobby and put it on a collision course with the Obama administration. Senior U.S. officials will likely decline meetings with him, unless he agrees to at least some of Washington's conditions. Canceling his flight, however, will be interpreted as acknowledgment of the crisis in U.S.-Israel ties.





Rivlin: US must understand Jerusalem is our red line
By JPOST.COM STAFF
14/03/2010 12:22


Knesset Chairman Reuven Rivlin said Sunday that the prime minister must clarify to the United States that “some things are part of Israel’s heart and soul” and that “there are requests that cannot be answered.”

Rivlin was referring to American condemnation of an Israeli announcement made last week that said 1,600 houses will be built in Jerusalem’s Ramat Shlomo neighborhood.

“Israel has red lines, and dividing Jerusalem is one of them,” Rivlin told Israel Radio.
Rivlin also rebuffed Palestinian claims against the reopening of the Hurva synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City. He is expected to be the main speaker at the synagogue’s dedication.





Obama tells Netanyahu: Show us you're serious about peace

By Aluf Benn

A widely predicted crisis between Israel and the United States upon Benjamin Netanyahu taking office as prime minister finally erupted this weekend.

U.S. President Barack Obama did not hold back in condemning the humiliation caused to Joe Biden with the Israeli announcement of 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem during what was supposed to be the vice president's friendly visit to Israel.

Instead of accepting Netanyahu's partial apology and letting bygones be bygones, Obama issued a stern warning to the Israeli prime minister and is now demanding that he take "specific actions" to show he is "committed" to the U.S.-Israel relationship and to the peace process itself.

Washington did not reveal the contents of the ultimatum or the list of demands reportedly presented to Netanyahu. Those conditions, however, could undermine the prime minister's coalition ties to hard-line right-wing parties like Yisrael Beiteinu and Shas, as well as provoke strong criticism from within his own Likud faction. In case Netanyahu still fails to understand the situation, a U.S. official told Reuters yesterday that the Israeli leader's rightist coalition leaves him in a "perilous" situation.

The prime minister has reached the moment of truth, where he must choose between his ideological beliefs and political cooperation with the right on one hand, and his need for American support on the other.

It is a difficult dilemma. If he comes into conflict with the U.S. administration - hoping his friends in Congress and the Jewish-American community support him in the name of Washington's obligation to the "eternal capital of the Jewish people" - he could jeopardize Israel's security cooperation with the Americans against Iran. Netanyahu knows that the fuel and spare parts for Israel's air force, as well as the warning signals for missiles headed this way, all come from the United States. He also knows that Israel has no other allies with which to face the threat posed by the Islamic Republic.

The Obama administration has until now refrained from exerting firm pressure on Netanyahu, fearing it might lead to his coalition's collapse and a political crisis within Israel. High-ranking officials in Washington believe that tightening the terms for a settlement construction freeze in the West Bank and the dismantling of outposts could lead to a deep rift within Israeli society, or even a mutiny within its military.

In November, Netanyahu's government agreed to a temporary freeze on settlement building, but only on condition of the continued development of East Jerusalem. This time around, the prime minister thought he could once again survive the crisis, having apologized to Biden for the "unfortunate timing" of the Interior Ministry's announcement of the construction plan.

Netanyahu did not, however, promise that the housing units in Ramat Shlomo would not be built, or that his government's policy on developing East Jerusalem would change. The construction plan is still pending, he said, and would not be implemented anytime in the next few years.

His adversaries in the Obama administration spotted a perfect opportunity to strike, to teach him a lesson in national honor - taking a leaf out of the diplomatic playbook of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and his deputy, Danny Ayalon. Biden was humiliated in Jerusalem, and America is now returning the favor.

Washington delivered its rebuke to Netanyahu through a number of channels. There was the extended censure by telephone from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a phone call from Biden, the summoning of Israel's ambassador to Washington to the office of Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, the condemnation from the Quartet and, perhaps most important, a media briefing Clinton delivered during a CNN interview which escalated private rebukes into a full-blown public reprimand.

The reproofs were reminiscent of the "low chair diplomacy" the Turkish ambassador to Jerusalem was subjected to by the Israeli Foreign Ministry at the beginning of the year. The media was informed that the conversation between Clinton and Netanyahu lasted 43 minutes, "rather than 10 minutes as usual," and that the prime minister barely uttered a word.

Obama himself reportedly worded the message to be delivered to Netanyahu during his weekly Thursday meeting with Clinton, lest the argument be made that it was merely the secretary of state scolding the Israeli leader, and not the U.S. president himself.

A State Department spokesman described the conversation using phrases which bring to mind a teacher castigating a student, not a working discussion with the leader of a friendly country and ally.

The substance was no less ****ing than the form - Clinton spoke of an "insult" to the United States and of "harming bilateral ties." She could not understand, she said, how such a thing could have been done in light of America's strong obligation to Israel's security. U.S. media interpreted these remarks as suggesting that Washington's military support for Israel is hardly unconditional.

Clinton dismissed Netanyahu's explanation that the decision to approve the housing plan was made without his knowledge, reminding him that as prime minister he is responsible for his government's actions.

The statements from the United States were publicized Friday evening - Shabbat - while Israel was officially unable to respond, therefore affording the White House a media exclusive. The instinctive reaction from Netanyahu and his associates was to accuse Washington of a diplomatic ambush, to simply rely on the support of his backers in the United States. Indeed, Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, was the first to charge the White House with "humiliating" the Israeli prime minister.

This week presents Netanyahu with a difficult decision. He may choose to visit Washington as planned to speak at the AIPAC conference, which would embarrass the preeminent pro-Israel lobby and put it on a collision course with the Obama administration. Senior U.S. officials will likely decline meetings with him, unless he agrees to at least some of Washington's conditions. Canceling his flight, however, will be interpreted as acknowledgment of the crisis in U.S.-Israel ties.





Netanyahu bows to US demand for Jerusalem building freeze

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report March 14, 2010, 10:29 PM (GMT+02:00)Tags: Jewish housing in E. Jerusalem Netanyahu Hillary Clinton

Binyamin Netanyahudebkafile's exclusive sources report that already Friday,

March 12, Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu gave in to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's peremptory demand for a moratorium
on construction in East Jerusalem for the duration of indirect talks with the Palestinians.
This was in addition to the freeze he accepted earlier on settlement construction on the West Bank.

Netanyahu did not disclose this concession to the full cabinet meeting Sunday, March 14, only to the inner cabinet of seven which he convened Saturday night to discuss the spiraling crisis in relations with Washington.
According to sources familiar with the content of Clinton's phone call to the prime minister, she did not allow it to proceed like a normal conversation between the high officials of two governments, but simply read out a prepared list of Obama administration demands in relation to the talks with the Palestinians US envoy George Mitchell would be getting off the ground in the coming days.


Netanyahu was not given a chance to agree or disagree; Clinton presented those demands as an ultimatum.

Her key requirement was for Israel to freeze construction in Jerusalem as well as the West Bank for the four months of indirect negotiations with the Palestinians and then continue the suspension past that stage after direct talks begin.

Sunday, Netanyahu instructed the relevant planning authorities to suspend authorizations for new building - or even alterations such as balconies - in all the outlying Jerusalem suburbs of Ramot Eshkol, French Hill, Pisgat Zeev, Neve Yakov, Har Homah and Gilo.


_________________

Website: www.csn.hqforums.com

One day soon, not soon enough, Netanyahu will know Yeshua.

Email: maria callison@hotmail.com

There is a promise in the Bible that is unconditional and without time limits -no expiration date. It is in Genesis 12 where God promised Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you." That is a word that is active, alive and in operation 24/7.

The various officials -BHO, Axelrod, Hillary, Mitchell, etc; and those in the EU, Russia and the UN, will reap the fruit of their words and actions towards God's elect chosen ones. The children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are back in the land and NO ONE will ever remove them again.

Reminds me of what Sancho Panza said to Don Quixote in "Man of La Mancha" when talking about a quarrel with his wife Teresa. Don Quixote asked how it went. Sancho, "Whether the vase falls on the anvil or the anvil falls on the vase, it will always be very bad for the vase". In this case Israel is the anvil.

I agree 100% w/U there, T/Sue!!!

I also wanted to add, that Bibi should tell all of the BHMO Administration & their allies, to go to h__l. I KNOW that I would, wouldn't you!?

A blessing in disguise


Moshe Dann pleased that Biden, Clinton emerged from Obama's closet hatred of Israel

Moshe Dann
Published: 03.15.10, 00:44 / Israel Opinion

If delusion is one of the most dangerous pitfalls of diplomacy, then, paradoxically, recent criticism of Israel by Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is a blessing in disguise.

Condemning a routine announcement of Israeli plans to build a new neighborhood in Jerusalem, Biden fired the first shot. Clinton added that "it was not only an insult to Biden, but an insult to the United States."

Such fiery attacks on Israel are sharp contrasts to pledges of love and loyalty, rhetoric meant to anesthetize Israelis against the reality of American policy and intentions.

We should all breathe a sigh of relief, not only that these agents of PLO policies – that Jerusalem is negotiable – have left, but that it's out in the open.

Prime Minister Netanyahu avoided the first salvo by excusing and apologizing for the "untimely" announcement. Actually, the timing was perfect. It exposed the real purpose of Biden's visit and President Barack Hussein Obama's direction.

But Netanyahu cannot avoid Clinton's pot shots, which struck at the spinal nerve of the relationship between Israel and the US. As she put it, this was not a dispute over policy, but a deliberate attempt to humiliate the United States of America.
It was not the planned official dedication of a square and monument in Ramallah – during Biden's visit - to a terrorist who had murdered Israelis that offended Ms. Clinton, but plans to build apartments for Jews.

Concessions a display of weakness

Supporters of Israel should rejoice that Biden and Clinton have emerged from Obama's closet hatred of Israel. Their wild attack, as deadly as it seemed initially, however, did little or no damage. It clears the way for a robust Israeli response, one that will set the course of Israeli policy and the guidelines of future discussions.

PM Netanyahu now has the opportunity to defend Israel's position, not only on Jerusalem, but other issues of Israeli sovereignty that have been disputed. This includes the right to decide on what Jewish heritage sites include and the right to preserve those historical and archeological sites, the right of Jews to live in Judea and Samaria, and the right of self-defense.


Unfortunately, however, Netanyahu brought this upon himself when he unilaterally declared a building freeze against Jews. Had this been conditioned on Arab Palestinian compliance, or compromise, it might have been justified. Instead, it simply escalated Arab demands and postponed negotiations.

Moreover, unilateral Israeli concessions, especially on vital, core issues, are a display of Israeli weakness. That policy must be reconsidered in light of what has resulted.


The author is a writer and journalist in Jerusalem

ME:Moshe Dann, sadly makes sense



I think the US has crossed over the line now and we have lost favor with the Lord. May He have mercy on the believers in this country.

Website: www.csn.hqforums.com

I have been doing news 8 hours a day 7 days and week for 4 years and 3 months. So I have seen a LOT, but at this time I believe the US has crossed a line and that God can no longer withhold His wrath. I pray He protects the believers in the US.

It is time for all of us to warn others and of course pass on the gospel to as many as possible as quickly as possible.

Website: www.csn.hqforums.com

Yes, SisterNChrist, they are buying their tickets to the eternal vacation in the center of the earth.

Email: maria callison@hotmail.com

I sure hope we are out'ta here soon. Tornado and Hurricane season are right around the corner...

'Jerusalem construction will go on'
By JPOST.COM STAFF
15/03/2010

Despite R. Shlomo crisis, PM says Israel will continue to build in all parts of the capital.


While the United States continued to criticize Israel over an east Jerusalem housing project approved during US Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Israel least week, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday said construction in the capital would continue as usual.
"Construction in Jerusalem will continue in any part of the city as it has during the last 42 years," Netanyahu stressed at the Likud faction meeting.

"In the past 40 years, there was no government that limited construction in any Jerusalem area or neighborhood," Netanyahu said. "Establishing Jewish neighborhoods did not hurt Jerusalem's Arab residents and was not at their expense."
The prime minister said Israel was committed to the 10-month building moratorium in the West Bank.

In the US, however, Israel's Ambassador to Washington Michael Oren said the crisis over the approval of 1,600 new housing units in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood was "the worst since 1975."

Earlier Monday, at the Labor faction meeting, Defense Minister Ehud Barak also referred to the crisis with Washington, saying that "the government must work so the crisis will be forgotten and the talks get back on track," and explaining how he was working to decrease the tensions.

"I just had a meeting at the Knesset with Fred Hoff, aide to [US special Mideast envoy George] Mitchell, an American diplomat who has been working with us for many years, as well as with US Ambassador to Israel James Cunningham."

Barak told the faction that, "we discussed the necessary steps and possible ways to abate the recent tensions and resume the negotiations with the Palestinians."

The negotiations, Barak said, are "supremely needed and are an issue that Labor believes in. It's one of the reasons we are in the government."

Gil Hoffman contributed to this repo

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