US official: Bibi lied to Shas
An American official told Haaretz on Wednesday that Prime Minister Netanyahu lied to Shas when he told their representatives that the US would agree to unrestricted Israeli building during the 'settlement freeze' extension in parts of Jerusalem that are beyond the 1949 armistice lines. But the U.S. official told Haaretz that "If the moratorium deal goes through, we will continue to press for quiet throughout East Jerusalem during the 90 days, regardless of what Bibi [Netanyahu] is telling Shas now."So does this mean that Shas will vote against the 'settlement freeze' extension? Or will they find another way to weasel out of it?
The official added that President Barack Obama had committed in an oral message to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas last April that the U.S. expects both sides to refrain from "actions that would seriously undermine trust," including in East Jerusalem, and would respond with "steps, actions, or adjustments in policy" to any such provocative actions as long as negotiations are underway.
The U.S. administration has defined "actions that would seriously undermine trust" as including major housing announcements, demolitions, or evictions in East Jerusalem.
"This policy will continue if the negotiations resume under a 90-day moratorium and the Israelis know it", said the US official. "So whatever Bibi is telling Shas to reassure them about U.S. policy on East Jerusalem is not true."
Labels: Barack Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu, settlement freeze extension, Shas
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:11 PM
4 Comments:
What I can't figure out about this is whether the freeze on building in these areas is meant to be for everyone, or just Jews? What about Israeli Arabs? And have they developed a DNA test whose results will be required on a building permit? And will DNA test results be used in determining which squatters will be removed? As I've mentioned before, the argument regarding such phrases as "judenrein", arguments about the U.S. setting up a country or procedures based on DNA does fluster and cause stuttering among Americans who want to help the poor Palestinians. It needs to be called out louder (along with title search real estate info and rocket effects info - so much info takes up so many column inches that doesn't touch on the core issues of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, which people in the U.S. still respond to viscerally).
In a case of the US said - Bibi said, I'm not so sure I'd believe the US, given this administration's record with Israel and Bibi so far.
Shas has said it wants unrestricted building in Jerusalem. If that's not important for the party, it should vote for the freeze now. Netanyahu is not a truthful man. The only question left is whether any one else in Israel is gullible enough to fall for his lies.
What could go wrong indeed
Shas already leaked it could do with verbal wink-and-a-nod understandings on Jerusalem in earlier reports, not explicit written agreements--may have its eye on domestic subsidies and inclined to go along with whatever taffy pull emerges.
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