Israel Matzav: Of course: US knew of Israeli housing plans... and so did the 'Palestinians'

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Of course: US knew of Israeli housing plans... and so did the 'Palestinians'

So this is how it works in Bibiland these days.

The Israeli government releases murderous 'Palestinian' terrorists. Trying to make it look like a tradeoff, Netanyahu announces construction in 'east' Jerusalem and the 'settlements,' to which the United States and the 'Palestinians' have been tipped off in advance. The housing units are never built. But the non-'settler' population blames the Jewish Home party (which deserves plenty of blame, just not for this) for the 'deal' with the 'Palestinians' allowing 'settlement construction' in exchange for terrorist releases. Netanyahu publicizes the fact that the US and the 'Palestinians' 'knew I was going to do this' just to make sure everyone gets that this is an exchange. I'll prove it you after the excerpt.

The US and the Palestinians knew in advance that the release of convicted Palestinian terrorists would be accompanied by announcements of settlement construction plans, government officials said Wednesday.

The comments came as Palestinian spokesmen slammed Israel for announcing that final permits have been given to build more than 1,500 units in Jerusalem neighborhoods beyond the pre-1967 lines and in communities in the large settlement blocs, as well as preliminary plans to build another 2,000 units in various settlements beyond the security barrier and the large blocs.
The announcement of the new settlement plans came soon after a second batch of 26 Palestinian prisoners was released late Tuesday night.

While the US and the Palestinians did not know about all the details of what new settlement plans would be announced, they knew of the intention to announce new plans, as well as the timing, the official said.

In order to pacify right wing elements inside his coalition, Netanyahu planned the timing of announcements of new building to coincide with each of the four batches of prisoner releases that are to take place by April under an agreement that led in July to the restarting of talks with the Palestinians. Some 104 convicted terrorists are to be released in four stages, two of which have now been carried out.

According to a Channel 2 report, on July 19, the day that Israel approved US Secretary of State John Kerry’s framework for restarting Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, Netanyahu agreed with Kerry that every time the prisoners would be released, there would be an announcement of new settlement construction plans to make the bitter pill easier to swallow for some of his coalition partners.

According to the report, Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett knew this was the agreement, but still came out strongly against the recent release of prisoners, as well as against linking their release to construction in the settlements.

Bennett’s party issued a statement Thursday on the prisoner release, saying “the attempt to link the release of the murderers to construction tenders is manipulative and morally wrong. It will be better if the prime minister does not release murderers and does not build. This looks like a despicable attempt to free murderers and tarnish the settlement enterprise.”

Bennett’s public opposition to the move has strained his ties with Netanyahu and caused friction inside the coalition.

You want me to prove to you that there won't be any building either? Go here. Aside from this post, look at the other posts. The promise to build in Ramat Shlomo has been recycled at least twice (2010 and the summer of 2012). This is the third time. So far, they haven't lifted a shovelful of earth.

Labels: Binyamin Netanyahu, gestures, Jerusalem construction, John Kerry, Judea and Samaria construction, Middle East peace process, Naftali Bennett, Palestinian terrorists, Ramat Shlomo, settlement freeze