Posted on 12/07/2007 8:53:40 AM PST by SJackson
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Israel on Friday its plan to build 300 house units on land captured in the 1967 war threatened U.S.-backed efforts to reach peace with Palestinians.
"We are in a time when the goal is to build maximum confidence with the parties and this doesn't help to build confidence," she said in rare U.S. criticism of Israel.
"There should not be anything which might prejudge final-status negotiations," Rice said after talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on the sidelines of a NATO meeting.
"It's even more important now that we are on the eve of the beginning of the negotiations. I made that position clear," she told a news conference.
Israel has issued a tender for the construction of some 300 units at Har Homa, one of several residential districts that have been built on land captured by Israel in the 1967 war and now home to a substantial Jewish community.
The United States fears the move could scupper peace talks launched last week at a U.S.-hosted conference in Annapolis, Maryland. Peace negotiations are due to begin on December 12.
Palestinian leaders have said the home-building undermines that peace process launched by U.S. President George W. Bush and aimed at reviving talks that had been dormant for seven years.
Under obligations contained in the 2003 "roadmap" framework for Middle East peace, Israel must cease settlement activity.
But Israel has said it does not consider the site, known as Abu Ghneim by Palestinians, as part of the West Bank territory the Palestinians want for a state.
Condi should take her half-baked analogy of Palestine as Alabama circa 1960 and butt out. Our involvement isn’t doing our ally any favors, so we should just leave it alone.
Sometimes I wonder if “Foggy Bottom” is more than just a nickname for the State Dept... :p
Many otherwise clear-headed persons have gone to serve there and quickly become completely nuts.
Yes, that's why it wasn't included in the Annapolis joint statment. Olmert would have lost his job. Maybe Condi hasn't read the statement she engineered, maybe she simply changed her mind.
Lot's of folk have changed their minds.
The basis of our position remains that Jerusalem must never again be a divided city. We did not approve of the status quo before 1967; in no way do we advocate a return to it now
President George HW Bush, 1990But something will happen when I'm president: as soon as I take office I will begin the process of moving the U.S. ambassador to the city Israel has chosen as its capital
Presidential candidate George W. Bush
May 23, 2000, August 28, 2000, American Jewish Committee's Election 2000 Questionnaire, October, 2000"President Bush is committed to moving our embassy to Jerusalem. The process is ongoing. We have not started any actions yet." Colin Powell, March 2001
It's a odd analogy isn't it. Jews and Arabs live in Jerusalem, including East Jerusalem.
Jews have lived in Jerusalem for 3 millenia, with the exception of "East" Jerusalem, aka the Jewish Quarter, from 1948 to 1967.
And Condi reverts to the "status quo" of those 19 years. As any good George Wallace fan would have when it comes to Condi living where she chooses.
How do you think that any American would react to this story from 20 years in the future?...
BRUSSELS (Reuters) Israeli Foreign Minister Judah Maccabee warned the US on Friday its plan to build 30,000 housing units on land captured in the 1848 war threatened Israeli-backed efforts to reach peace with Azlatanians.
“We are in a time when the goal is to build maximum confidence with the parties and this doesn’t help to build confidence,” he said in rare Israeli criticism of the US.
“There should not be anything which might prejudge final-status negotiations,” Maccabee said after talks with US Secretary of State Condoleeza Chamberlain on the sidelines of a NATO meeting.
“It’s even more important now that we are on the eve of the beginning of the negotiations. I made that position clear,” he told a news conference.
The US has issued a tender for the construction of some 30,000 units in and around San Diego, one of several residential districts that have been built on land captured by the US in the 1848 war and now home to a substantial American community.
Israel fears the move could scupper peace talks launched last week at a Israeli-hosted conference in Jerusalem. Peace negotiations are due to begin on December 12.
Azlatanian leaders have said the home-building undermines that peace process launched by Israeli Prime Minister Bar Kochba and aimed at reviving talks that had been dormant for seven years.
Under obligations contained in the 2023 “roadmap” framework for North American peace, the US must cease settlement activity.
But the US has said it does not consider the site, known as Bushesloco by Azlatanians, as part of the territory the Azlatanians want for a state.
Amen, amen and right on! You just got a standing ovation from this Virginian!
Excellent analogy of the shoe on the other foot!!!!
This is actually part of the Secretary of State’s portfolio to help ease the housing oversupply crisis in the US by stopping the building of homes in Israel so less affluent Jewish-Americans move to Israel, thereby increasing the demand for housing in the US.
This explanation at least is reductum ad absurdum to at least give the American public a good chuckle while we cry in our old boot broth here.
When GW was sworn in, if you have been paying attention, you would know that.
First President to officially call for an independent Palestinian State. Continually pushes Israel, to give up more land for peace, recently declared that terrorism on both sides, equating Israel's self defense with the PLO terrorism.
Excellent!!!
Yes Condi, the Arab-ass-kissing position of both you and the Bush admin. is quite clear indeed.
Rice is just "following orders", but it's a stupid approach under the historic circumstances...
Incidentally, nothing that Israel can do threatens any agreement in my lifetime, compared to the "palestinian's" determination to destroy Israel.
If she made it clear, she should have included it in the formal statement rather than deliberately leaving Jerusalem out.
Israel is in an impossible position. The US State Department feels entitled to interfere in Israel's internal affairs because of the aid the US provides, but stangely --- the US doesn't interfere in any of the other 130 "loser nations" to which it also provides aid...
... like, say, Egypt.
Probably, though when the history of the Bush years is written, I suspect overreliance on the opinions of advisors may be viewed as one of his faults, along with a reluctance to change horses when they're following the wrong path.
It’s amazing what you can do with MS Paint and a bad attitude.
Fried Rice?
Rice and chicken?
Or maybe just puffed Rice?
Further and further strays this administration from reality.
Shoot, the current administraton is too busy ignoring the continued interference and pot stirring in our internal affairs by Felipe Calderon and Vicente Fox.
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