Israel Matzav

Obama pockets the concession, looks for more

President Obama and Egyptian dictator drank a toast together on Tuesday after they pocketed a huge Israeli concession (that Israel asserts this morning that the Obama administration knew about all along): Israel has suspended building in Judea and Samaria.

"There has been movement in the right direction," Obama told reporters as he stood beside Mubarak, during the latter's first visit to the White House since 2002. "I'm encouraged by some of the things I'm seeing on the ground."

He was responding to a question concerning reports that Israel has stopped approving new construction in the West Bank, and also spoke about the growth in the Palestinian economy and improvement in security efforts by the Palestinian Authority.

"All of this is creating a climate in which it's possible for us to see some positive steps and hopefully negotiate towards a final resolution of these longstanding issues," Obama said. "It's going to require a lot of hard work, and the United States is committed to being a partner in this process."

Sure. A lot of 'hard work.' Now that we stopped sending Jews in, we have to get 500,000 Jews out. Maybe we can build an artificial island and house them there (that sounds like a joke, but it was actually proposed by Shimon Peres). This is what Mubarak had to say:

"If negotiations start, this will lead to the Arab states to support the peace process and to move it forward, because I can tell you that the Arab people are fed up with the length that this issue has taken, and the issue of the displaced people," he said. "So I believe if the two parties sit down, this will lead to have Arab states support moving the peace process forward."

Translation: "Thanks, Israel. But you're not going to get anything from us until we dump a few million 'refugees' on you."

Mubarak's spokesman was also asked (in Arabic) about Obama's request for confidence building measures.

In a press briefing conducted in Arabic on Monday, Mubarak spokesman Suleiman Awad said that "we have a public opinion that we ought to respect, don't ask us more than we are able to give or bear."

He added that "other Arab countries can take some steps, but only if Israel stops settlements and takes the initiative to resume negotiations... The ball is in Israel's court."

Translation: "Don't expect anything from us. And by the way, what Israel did already isn't enough."

The Egyptians also announced that the Obumbler's 'peace plan' suicide plan for Israel will be ready in September. Here in Israel, we can't wait. Sure....

Israel's Right (both inside and outside the government) is furious over the 'settlement freeze'.

It looks like Netanyahu is the Same Old Bibi after all. Will anyone stand up to him? With Barak as defense minister, there seems to be little the rest of the cabinet can do other than bring down the government. And if that happens, Kadima will join the coalition to prop up the government faster than you can say Tzipi Hotovely Livni.

Hope and change same. The people in power in this country continue to ignore the will of ordinary Israelis, as they have consistently since Yitzchak Shamir was defeated in the 1992 elections. I can't stand Obama, but let's face reality: We have only our own government to blame for this one. If Boogie Yaalon were defense minister, there wouldn't be a 'settlement freeze.'

I'll probably have more to say about this later. I'm too angry right now.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:30 AM