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Netanyahu stands firm on Jerusalem before U.S. visit
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Netanyahu stands firm on Jerusalem before U.S. visit
Jeffrey Heller
JERUSALEM
Sun Mar 21, 2010 9:35am EDT
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Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting in his office in Jerusalem March 21, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Uriel Sinai/Pool
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he had informed Washington in writing that Israel would not stop Jewish settlement in and around Jerusalem, setting the stage for a defiant visit to the United States this week.
World
The tinderbox settlement issue, accompanied by mounting violence in the West Bank where four Palestinians have been killed in the past two days, is challenging renewed efforts by a U.S. envoy to get indirect peace talks under way.
"Our policy on Jerusalem is the same policy followed by all Israeli governments for the 42 years, and it has not changed. As far as we are concerned, building in Jerusalem is the same as building in Tel Aviv," Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday.
"I believed it would be of great importance for these things not to remain in the context of commentary or speculation. I subsequently wrote a letter, at my own initiative, to the secretary of state so that things would be crystal clear."
Hillary Clinton and Netanyahu spoke by telephone on Thursday in an attempt to defuse a vocal U.S.-Israeli dispute over settlement in areas around East Jerusalem, captured by Israel captured in a 1967 war.
Israel's announcement -- during a visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden two weeks ago -- that it would build 1,600 homes for Jews near East Jerusalem embarrassed Washington and delayed the start of indirect peace talks with the Palestinians.
But in a softening of Washington's tone in the worst public spat with Israel since U.S. President Barack Obama came to office early last year, Clinton said last week that Netanyahu had given a "useful and productive" response to her concerns.
She gave no details. Israel media said Clinton failed to persuade Netanyahu to shelve the new housing project but that he agreed to several confidence-building steps such as freeing Palestinian prisoners and easing a Gaza blockade.
Netanyahu was to fly to the United States later on Sunday after talks with U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell on restarting peace talks that have been suspended since December 2008.
He planned to address the pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC on Monday. U.N. Secretary General Ban ki-Moon, on a visit to Gaza, said Netanyahu would also meet President Barack Obama, but there was no confirmation of that from Israel or the United States.
In the latest West Bank bloodshed, Israeli troops killed two Palestinians who tried to stab soldiers, the army said.
On Saturday, soldiers shot two Palestinian teenagers during a stone-throwing protest against Israeli settlement policy that Palestinians say will deny them a viable state. One was killed immediately and the other youth died of his wounds on Sunday.
Palestinians stuck publicly to their refusal to negotiate until Israel froze settlement building.
Israel's action "thwarts efforts by the Quartet (of international peace mediators) and the U.S. administration to return to the peace process," said Nabil Abu Rdainah, an aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
ISSUES
Israel regards all of Jerusalem as its capital, a claim that is not recognized internationally. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of the state they want to establish in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
In his remarks at the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu appeared to give Mitchell an opening in dealing with a Palestinian demand to negotiate core issues, such as borders and the future of Jerusalem," during indirect peace talks.
Netanyahu reaffirmed that each side was free to put forward its positions on all issues in dispute, but he said pointedly that "a real solution to the core problems ... can be reached only in direct peace negotiations."
Netanyahu had apologized to Washington for the timing of the announcement of the construction plans for the settlement of Ramat Shlomo, built on West Bank land that Israel annexed to Jerusalem in 1967.
But he told parliament last week there was a national consensus to build in "Jerusalem neighborhoods," Jewish apartment blocs in disputed areas under Israeli control.
"I believe that Israel's position is very clear. It will be clear during my visit to the U.S. capital, Netanyahu told his cabinet, which is comprised mainly of pro-settler parties, including his own.
At a meeting in Moscow on Friday, the Quartet -- the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia -- called on Israel to halt all settlement building.
Israel has refused to do so, citing biblical and historical links to the West Bank and saying it intends to keep major settlement blocs in any future peace agreement.
Under U.S. and international pressure, Netanyahu announced a 10-month moratorium on new housing starts in Jewish settlements in November. But he excluded East Jerusalem and nearby annexed areas of the West Bank from the temporary building freeze, leading Palestinians to call it insufficient.
(Editing by Noah Barkin)
World
Comments
See All Comments (5) | Post Comment
Mar 21, 2010 9:55am EDT
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kylenana
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Mar 21, 2010 10:31am EDT
I don’t know what we are doing still supporting Israel
Story_Burn
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Mar 21, 2010 10:37am EDT
As Benyamin Netenyahu flies over the ocean to meet his US diplomatic hosts his resolve to deny east Jerusalem to Palestine and to continue his tyranny over US and Palestinian human rights activists, and brokers of Palestinian agency as a nation have illicited a great outpouring in response to Israel intransigence toward Palestine, nearly all of negatice reactions to negative actions by his adminsitration, which brands his Israel as a rougue nation, bucking allies and enmeis alike to steal land for eretz Israel, Netenyahu is the newset thief in chief of the occupation, but will be respectfully hosted and treated like an ally and friend by US diplomats.
It would serve justice for his plane to touch down as the US makes a press relaese that says it is discontinuing funding of Israel fully until his regime relents and disperses it;a radical settlers fro Arab Lands, repatriates illegally gotten lands to Palestine and pay reparations for losses to indigenousness Palestinians for their losses, with interest.
Sure, Israel would be indignant at this affront to it’s hubris and pride baring stance towards Arabs, but why mince words with a nation whose taunts to US citizens, actions against their rights and debilitating restrictions on human rights and international law defenders and prosecutors attempting to bring law and order to a clearly revisionist establishment in Tel Aviv, which has rewritten not only history to benefit their thefts but written obtuse and malignant laws that hamper free speech against their immorality as a people and nation? Why hesitate to make this man and his nation understand that while they play house and kill the house mates they stole from, the world of witness groans and moans under their jack boot supremacist litany of defaults and frauds perpetrated with utter disdain for any human rights save those of despots and zionist pricks whose support for criminal Israel marks them as beasts of complicity with the tyrants of Tel Aviv.
Quich question Bibi, If Israel takes Jerusalem as if they owned it because of past God rights, can I have Tel Aviv, I am converting to Islam and Saladin took this place for my people years back and I am moving in, OK, Dont make excuses now, God gave me Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and I want both, Is it any less reasonable for me to say this than it is for Jews under Netenyahu’s tutelage to say what they say?
No it isn’t ridiculous clap trap is ridiculous no matter whom voices it or how rich they are or how Godly they feel they are. Bullshit is bullshit Bibi, bring it and leave with your head in your hands.
jerrygates7
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Mar 21, 2010 10:37am EDT
East Jerusalem was not captured by Israel in the 1967 war.
East Jerusalem was liberated by Israel in the 1967 war after it had been occupied by Jordan for 19 years.
Eric.Klein
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Mar 21, 2010 11:42am EDT
East Jerusalem was indeed liberated in 1967 – after King Hussein of Jordan had foolishly and needlessly provoked Israel.
King Hussein had denied Jewish worshippers access to holy sites in Jerusalem since 1948, and kept Palestinians languishing in refugee camps.
Once Jerusalem was liberated, it was once again the united capital city of the nation of Israel — just as it was 3,000 years ago.
TelKatzir1
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