Members of the Israeli government are saying that despite repeated claims to the contrary, the Obama Administration is flexible on the question of a settlement freeze in the West Bank and that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with US envoy George Mitchell to work out a new understanding.
During last week’s visit to Israel, Mitchell reportedly promised that the US would not impose any sanctions on Israel for continued construction in the settlements, but tied US demands for Arab “goodwill gestures” to the nation making some sort of effort to rein in the growth.
The Obama Administration had previously demanded an absolute cessation of all growth in the settlements, saying it would accept no exceptions. The comments led to a series of frank dismissals from the Netanyahu government and public protests against US facilities in the nation condemning President Obama as an anti-semite and an enemy of Israel.
In the end, the US made it clear there would be no consequences for ignoring the demands, and after a few weeks of harsh rhetoric it seems they are poised to drop the matter more or less entirely.
$$$ talks, BS walks.
Ariel Sharon had to disabuse George W of the notion that as President he had some say over the formulation of United State's Middle-East policy. It looks as if Netanyahu will have to provide the same service to Obama, our current "coward in chief"..
If the whole of the West Bank were to become the proposed Palestinian "State" then the Jewish settlers in their hitherto illegal settlements will have to have Palestinian citizenship and no longer have the protection of the IDF. They also will have to be disarmed. A very interesting situation emerges. The settlers have the choice to return to Israel or stay and become Palestinian citizens, which they will not accept. Personal I think that a Palestinian "State" s a sheer pipedream, it will never happen and this war of artrition will continue for decades to come.