Once again, Hope ‘n Change is dissing a friend – and this time with malice aforethought. The administration has issued a series of peremptory demands to Israel to withdraw its plans for construction of apartments in the Jerusalem suburb of Ramat Schlomo. As summarized by Scott Johnson at Power Line, they are:
1. Investigate the process that led to the announcement of the Ramat Shlomo construction plans in the middle of Biden’s visit. The Americans seek an official response from Israel on whether this was a bureaucratic mistake or a deliberate act carried out for political reasons. Already on Saturday night, Netanyahu announced the convening of a committee to look into the issue.
2. Reverse the decision by the Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee to approve construction of 1,600 new housing units in Ramat Shlomo.
3. Make a substantial gesture toward the Palestinians enabling the renewal of peace talks. The Americans suggested that hundreds of Palestinian prisoners be released, that the Israel Defense Forces withdraw from additional areas of the West Bank and transfer them to Palestinian control, that the siege of the Gaza Strip be eased and further roadblocks in the West Bank be removed.
4. Issue an official declaration that the talks with the Palestinians, even indirect talks, will deal with all the conflict’s core issues – borders, refugees, Jerusalem, security arrangements, water and settlements.
Like Scott, I wonder how any sovereign nation would put up with such demands, delivered with such arrogance. But as Jerusalem Post columnist Caroline Glick observes, one need only look at Hope ‘n Change’s anti-Semitic mentors to understand the mendacity of this president.
The Obama administration’s calculated decision to escalate its open attacks against Israel over a routine decision by the Jerusalem Planning and Building Board to approve 1,600 housing units in Ramat Shlomo neighborhood presents Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu with an unenviable task. He has to either relinquish Israel’s sovereignty over its capital by capitulating in the face of the unprecedented American assault, or he can tell Obama and Clinton and their cohorts to go to hell. It is depressing, and let’s face it, a bit scary that the US, which has refused to raise a finger against Iran’s nuclear program or any other rogue action by any other US enemy has decided to go after Israel in this fashion. It is depressing, but not surprising.
Anyone who paid the slightest attention to who Barack [short for Barakeh in Arabic] Obama is before he was elected knew full well that this man is an enemy of Israel. He was a member of an ardently anti-Semitic church for more than two decades. His friends ranged from virulently anti-Israel and anti-Jewish like Edward Said, Rashid Khalidi, William Ayres, Jeremiah Wright, Samantha Power and Susan Rice — among others — to radically post-Zionist like Arnie Wolf, Rahm Emmanuel and David Axelrod not to mention Joe Biden.
Given his pedigree, no one should have been surprised that Obama has chosen to stir up a crisis in his relations with Israel.
Bibi can tell Obama to stick it where the sun don’t shine and rally the Israeli public and Israel’s many friends in America to his side and so make it impossible for Obama to carry on doing this with immunity. Or he can lick Obama’s boots and set the clock ticking faster towards the destruction of this country.
What’s it going to be Bibi?
Like ObamaCare and most everything else, Hope ‘n Change doesn’t give a damn about public opinion, which is running 8-1 for Israel in this matter.
Hat tip to Jim Hoft on Caroline Glick’s post and the survey data.
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