Netanyahu stands firm on Jerusalem
As U.S. Middle East peace envoy George Mitchell arrived in Israel to renew indirect peace talks Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his refusal to freeze plans for construction in East Jerusalem announced last month.
“I am saying one thing,” Netanyahu said. “There will be no freeze in Jerusalem. There should be no pre-conditions to talks.”
On Thursday, Benny Begin, a senior cabinet minister, also said, “It is just impossible and unacceptable that people try to impress us that we should limit construction in Jerusalem.”
Mr. Netanyahu’s declaration deepened “the diplomatic deadlock between the allies just as the U.S. regional envoy is due to renew efforts to resume indirect peace talks,” wrote the Times.
Although Mr. Netanyahu was merely restating his previous position, the timing “threatened to undermine Mr. Mitchell’s latest efforts to restart peace talks,” wrote the Washington Times, which also stated that “The status of East Jerusalem is the most explosive issue dividing Israelis and Palestinians.”
According to the Washington Times, “Mr. Obama issued a surprisingly pessimistic assessment of peacemaking prospects, saying the United States couldn’t force its will on Israelis and Palestinians if they weren’t interested in making the compromises necessary to end their decades-old conflict.”
The construction of the housing settlements was announced last month during a visit by U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden. It ignited tensions between the two nations, causing the United States to issue particularly sharp criticism against Israel. Although Mr. Netanyahu visited Washington shortly thereafter, he was greeted with a number of presidential “snubs,” according to the media, that only seemed to make relations between the two nations worse.
Last month, the Trumpetwrote about the prophesied tension between the two nations: “Carefully watch as America’s relationship with Israel continues to deteriorate—and take note of who Israel turns to for help. That too is prophesied.”
