The caption of an AP photo of the Beitar Ilit settlement (city) in the West Bank reads:
The West Bank Jewish settlement of Beitar Ilit is seen through a barbed wire fence, Friday, Sept. 4, 2009. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to approve some hundreds of new housing units in West Bank settlements before slowing settlement construction, two of his aides said Friday, in an apparent snub of Washington’s public demand for a total settlement freeze.
Coverage of the announcement revealed headlines ranging from Israel To Build New Houses In Settlements to Israel Confronts Obama to more sharp rebukes like, US Fury as Israel Defies Settlement Freeze Call.
JERUSALEM — Israel said Friday it will construct hundreds of new housing units in West Bank settlements before any slowdown in building, an announcement that drew harsh criticism from Washington, which demands a complete settlement freeze as a prelude to renewing Mideast peace talks.
Israeli officials painted the move as a concession to the U.S. demand because it might bring a temporary halt to other construction. But since it would also mean building the new units and finishing some 2,500 others now under construction, it looked more like defiance than acquiescence.
Israel’s proposal also does not include any freeze in building in east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians hope to make their future capital.
Press secretary Robert Gibbs responded, and he did not mince words:
“We regret the reports of Israel’s plans to approve additional settlement construction,” Robert Gibbs, the White House spokesman, said. “As the President has said before, the United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement expansion and we urge it to stop.”
Another US official (not identified) said.
“In the end, America will be forced to do what is necessary to bring the Israelis and the Palestinians back to the negotiation table. But the Netanyahu Government has proven difficult to work with.”
Palestinian officials were likewise miffed:
“What the Israeli Government said is not useful… is unacceptable for us. We want a freeze on all settlement construction,” said Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President. He reiterated that the entire Middle East peace process hinged on a freeze of all Israeli settlement construction.
Saeb Erekat, a senior Palestinian negotiator, also slammed the move, stating that it was unacceptable and could threaten to delay progress made in the peace process.
Threaten to delay? Well, isn’t that the point?
In a related issue: the plight of Be’lin, West Bank:
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Once again the night in Bil’in was disrupted by a raid ending with the arrest of one the members of the Village’s Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements. This occurred the night after the childrens demonstration where the children had chanted slogans like “We want to sleep,” “Stop the night raids”.
The house of Bil’in Popular Committee member and vice president of the Bil’in village council, Mohammad Abu Rahma, (age 50), known by his friends as Abu Nizar, was raided shortly before 2am on Thursday morning. About 25 soldiers with their faces painted in black had come to the village on foot.
The soldiers broke into Abu Nizar’s home and forcefully took him from his bed where he and his wife were sleeping. They then beat and dragged him to the Annexation Wall where jeeps were waiting to pick them up. During the arrest, the soldiers where confronted by international solidarity activists who live in the village and Haitham Khatib the village’s camera man. As Haithem was filming the arrest, one soldier hit him, broke his camera and hit two of the activists.
Abu Nizar’s son Nashmi Mohammed Ibrahim Abu Rahma (age 14) had been arrested 5 days ago. To date, Israeli forces have arrested 28 people (most of which are under 18). Nineteen residents of Bil’in remain in Israeli detention. Through Israel’s interrogation and intimidation tactics, some of arrested youth have ‘confessed’ that the Bil’in Popular Committee urges the demonstrators to throw stones. With such ‘confessions’, Israeli forces then proceed to arrest leaders of the non violent struggle in the community.
Bil’in a village of Palestine
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."And yet we keep hearing, if the Palestinians would only use nonviolent Gandhi style protests. It would seem that the IDF just doesn’t care whether violent or nonviolent methods are used. They will be suppressed.
The sad aspect of the long Bi’lin saga is that it has hardly received any international coverage. Nonviolent protest without publicity is useless, because its political purpose is defeated.
EU, US condemn Israel’s settlement approval
so?
a few more harshly worded letters and statements of admonition to placate the dfa’s and life goes on…at least for the israelites, not so much for the palestinians.
the solution is extremely simple, but too extreme for the u.s. administration…aka…knesset west…to consider, let alone enact:
shut off the obscene flow of arms and money that keeps the country, israel, viable…period…end of discussion. stop the shit, negotiate a reasonable…for all sides…settlement, abandon all settlements, withdraw to the pre 1967 borders, abide by the appropriate un resolutions, or go it alone.
the problem will be resolved post haste, either by internal or external means.
live by the sword, die by the sword.
Oh, I fully agree with you, dada.
Just more words.
I just wanted to include a link to the official European reaction as well.