Israel Matzav

Israel and US nearing a deal on 'settlement' growth

The Los Angeles Times reports that Israel and the United States are nearing a deal that would define the 'natural growth' of 'settlements' to allow some growth to take place. The Times does not sound very pleased about it.

After weeks of talks, U.S. officials have signaled that they are close to an agreement with the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that could open the way to a resumption of high-level peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians. Former Sen. George J. Mitchell, Obama's envoy for Middle East peace, said this week that he hoped for a U.S.-Israeli accord "very soon."

The talks have focused on two issues the Israelis raise to argue against a complete halt to settlement growth, officials say.

The Israelis say the nearly 300,000 Jewish settlers living in the West Bank need to be permitted a "normal life," meaning they should be able to add rooms to their homes, schools and other facilities to accommodate normal population growth of existing communities.

Second, they argue that projects underway should be permitted to be completed. They note that if the Israeli government tries to halt a settler from building on private land within an existing settlement, the courts may intervene to overrule the move.

Michael B. Oren, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, said in interviews in Israel this week that "creative solutions" had been devised and he predicted that an accord would be reached. Mitchell is to meet with Netanyahu in Paris next week.

One U.S. official, asked about the credibility issue, said, "I'm quite confident that when this issue is resolved -- one way or another -- all the parties involved will understand that the president should be taken at his word."

Some critics of Israel's settlements are not reassured.

The Times leaves its readers with the impression that any solution that allows 'natural growth' will per se allow the construction of another 46,500 homes in Judea and Samaria, a move that would 'nearly double' the number of 'settler homes' in the 'West Bank' over the next 20 years. I only wish we had the Jews to put in another 46,500 homes.

The Times also doesn't tell its readers until the last paragraph of the story that nearly all the 'natural growth' is taking place in "huge blocks that Israel expects to keep as part of any peace agreement." And the Times does not tell its readers that the Bush administration promised Israel that it could keep those blocks. Instead, this tag team story (written by its Washington and Jerusalem correspondents) focuses on the possible 'blows' that the Obama administration's 'credibility' will take as a result of reaching an agreement with its most faithful ally instead of shoving its view down Israel's throat.

After the way the Obama administration has treated Israel, as compared with its election rhetoric, I didn't know the administration had any credibility left to lose.

Just another biased mainstream media report....

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:34 PM