The fact is that the Jews will never compromise. They will continue to push forward despite the consequences and will poo-poo on anything told to them by the United States government, United Nations, etc. Of course, the paradox here is that while they do nothing to help establish peace with the Palestinians or even relative peace within the region in general, they simultaneously expect the U.S. to protect their interests by keeping an eye on Syria and Iran. How absurd is that?
I realize this will never happen, but what the U.S. government should do is stop playing mediator. This country’s policy is to intervene in other people’s affairs, and this needs to stop. If the Jews are so tough, let them defend themselves from their neighbors. If they cannot, then maybe, just maybe, they would be willing to compromise their position for the betterment of the whole of mankind. The world actually does consist of people other than the 15 million or so Jews that inhabit this planet. TGO
Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AFP) – Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat pledged that more Jewish homes will be built in east Jerusalem, despite US calls for a freeze there in a bid to boost prospects for Middle East peace.
Barkat showed no sign of constraints on construction in Jerusalem despite a Haaretz newspaper report saying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to refrain from “significant” actions in the disputed holy city.
“The answer is no, a clear no,” he told reporters Tuesday when asked if Israel would heed calls by President Barak Obama’s administration to stop building in east Jerusalem until at least Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are launched.
The mayor said there had only been a temporary halt to construction as Israel reeled from the shock of having its US ally publicly reprimand it for announcing last month 1,600 new homes in east Jerusalem.
“When you get two slaps in your face, first of all, you stop and you think: ‘Did you do anything wrong?'” he said.
“It takes some time to recover from such an attack by such a friend like the US administration. Now I think we’re past that phase right now,” Barkat told reporters over dinner.
“There is no freeze,” he confirmed, adding there will be more announcements of further construction.
“There will be buildings going on. You cannot stop a vibrant living city, especially not Jerusalem. And by the way, if you stop it, Jews will leave and Arabs will build illegally,” he added.
“You must build for both Jews and Arabs,” he said.
“Giving Palestinians any grip of east Jerusalem is putting a Trojan horse for Jews in Jerusalem,” the mayor said.
Saying he was simply following a masterplan for Jerusalem, Barkat said he aimed to keep the holy city’s Jewish population at 65 percent and the Palestinian population at 35 percent.
Barkat said he showed the masterplan — which also calls for designs that help increase tourists from two million a year to 10 million a year in a decade — to US lawmakers and government officials during his visit to Washington.
He said he planned to meet with State Department officials on Wednesday.
His visit coincides with that of Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, but is independent of it.
The United States has been pressing the two sides to return to negotiations for months, but the Palestinians have refused to do so without a complete freeze on Israeli settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, including annexed Arab east Jerusalem.
