Call Eli Yishai: What happened to 'immediate construction in Jerusalem'?
Shas leader Eli Yishai has announced that his party's two representatives in the 'security cabinet' will abstain from a vote to take place on Tuesday or Wednesday to extend the 'settlement freeze' imposed by the government last year. According to current head counts, if the two Shas representatives abstain, the extension will pass 7-6. Therefore, in effect, it is Yishai who is causing the 'settlement freeze' to be extended, much as he may try to deny it.Yishai claims that he will only do so in return for a letter from President Obama (has anyone seen it?) committing to, among other things, "immediate construction in Jerusalem," which has been explained in the media to include 'east' Jerusalem, i.e. Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem beyond the 1949 armistice lines. If Yishai is true to his word, he ought to be investigating this.
Two committees dealing with construction in the Jerusalem area have taken off the agenda a plan for 1,300 new housing units in the Gilo neighborhood, which falls beyond the 1967 Green Line border.If Obama is to issue a letter in the next 48 hours committing to "immediate construction" in all of Jerusalem, including the Jewish suburbs that are across the armistice lines, then why should he object (and why should anyone be afraid of him objecting) to the discussion and voting upon a construction plan for Gilo?
The decision to delay discussions on the plan apparently comes in response to a request from the Prime Minister's Bureau, which is concerned about sparking a fresh crisis with the American administration over building in Jerusalem. The decision also comes as Netanyahu seeks to win cabinet approval for a new settlement construction freeze proposed by Washington.
The American administration has previously criticized Israeli building policies in East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians claim as a future capital. President Barack Obama personally expressed displeasure at the plan for Gilo, saying that, "This kind of activity is never helpful when it comes to peace negotiations."
Unless, of course, when Obama writes Jerusalem, he only means those parts of Jerusalem that were Israeli controlled prior to 1967, in which case we have to wonder what Yishai is getting in exchange for his abstentions.
Labels: Eli Yishai, Gilo, Jerusalem construction, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, settlement freeze
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:28 AM
2 Comments:
Carl, a letter to recognize Israel's right to build in West Jerusalem would be meaningless. I think Secretary Clinton has been pretty clear that Jerusalem as a city, north, south, east, west is not part of the freeze. Whatever else they may be Bibi and Shas' leadership are not total idiots of Chelmsian proportions.
Such a letter would be a joke.
Then again, Shas' claim to be a Zionist party is also a joke!
What could go wrong indeed
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