White House Slams Israeli Plan to Build in East Jerusalem

By: Amanda Sterling
Topics: Foreign Policy

(AP)

The White House lashed out against Israel today after the country's municipal planning committee announced that it would move forward with a plan to build hundreds of new housing units in eastern Jerusalem, an area that Palestinians hope will be part of their future state.

Under the proposed Israeli plan, called "Gilo's Western Slopes," 900 more housing units would be built, mostly in the form of four and five bedroom apartments, in a Jewish neighborhood in East Jerusalem, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports. This plan to advance has attracted harsh criticism from international powers, which see the expansion proposal as an infringement on a previous Israeli-Palestinian agreement and as an impediment to peace negotiations.

"We are dismayed at the Jerusalem Planning Committee's decision to move forward on the approval process for the expansion of Gilo in Jerusalem," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement. "At a time when we are working to re-launch negotiations, these actions make it more difficult for our efforts to succeed. Neither party should engage in efforts or take actions that could unilaterally pre-empt, or appear to pre-empt, negotiations."

The situation is made murky by the disagreement surrounding ownership of East Jerusalem. Israel captured and claimed the territory in the 1967 Mideast War, but foreign countries do not recognize the claim. While the Israeli government has agreed not to move forward with new construction projects in the West Bank, Israel says that does not apply to East Jerusalem, the Associated Press reports.

Britain and the Palestinian Authority have joined the U.S. in speaking out against the Israeli plan. "The decision to build in the Gilo neighborhood is a mistake, and we oppose it," according to a statement by the British Foreign Ministry reported by Israeli news outlet Arutz Sheva.

"We condemn this in the strongest possible terms," added Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, according to the AP. "It shows that it is meaningless to resume negotiations when this goes on."

Israeli officials say that nothing is official yet. Jerusalem city spokesman Gidi Schmerling told the AP that Israel is "many months away" from a final decision. Opponents of the plans argue that Israel should not be planning to build new houses until there is an agreement on who owns the land.

"Our position is clear," Gibbs's release reads. "The status of Jerusalem is a permanent status issue that must be resolved through negotiations between the parties."

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by marvenetta November 18, 2009 11:03 PM EST: The WH statement of being "dismayed" at Israel expansion of housing units in Jerusalem is just an act for the arab world. The Obama admin. has the leverage to stop Israel's expansion of housing and ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem, as well as illegal settlements in the West Bank. However, Pres. Obama chooses to take orders from AIPAC and Israel, and ironically is pleasing no one by doing so. The Israeli Jews who got the nerve to be offended because he asked them to stop the illegal settlements. Never mind that they are violating international law with their illegal settlement, which land stealing, and would be punished by the UN if not protected by the US. Pres. Obama should change course and become an honest broker for once, and withhold his veto protection and allow the UN to deal with the apartheid state of Israel and its land stealing and ethnic cleansing. Israel would be forced to move back to pre1967 borders and the Palestinians would be given statehood. Then, maybe the Israeli Jews would lose their sense of entitlement and being above the law.; Reply to this comment


by U_S_Drug_Addict November 18, 2009 8:29 AM EST: and we should be shocked that izzreaieaial is continuing its aparteid?
this is standard operating procedure....
dont act so surprised.; Reply to this comment

by crikeytx46 November 18, 2009 8:16 AM EST

The US should stand behind Israel. Israel was attacked in 1967 and Israel overcame her enemies with the help of G-D hence the expanded borders. The Palistinians should move to Jordan, Syria, etc.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

Reply to this comment


by U_S_Drug_Addict November 18, 2009 8:30 AM EST: NAKBA....


by endurorob_5 November 18, 2009 7:18 AM EST: When will the international community undersatand that Israel will do waht they want and are not concerned about the opinions or wlefare of others. They will continue to illegally build because they have no intention of gaining peace with the Palestinians.; Reply to this comment

by justdatrooth November 17, 2009 10:46 PM EST

Told ya he's a Muslim!!! Obama...Lies You Can Believe In...

Reply to this comment


by gramto8 November 18, 2009 4:22 AM EST: by justdatrooth November 17, 2009 10:46 PM EST
Told ya he's a Muslim!!! Obama...Lies You Can Believe In...
___________________________________________________________
Just because I believe we should stop believing in and supporting a land-grubbing and money-grubbing Israel, does that mean that I am also 'a Muslim'? Guess again, notdatrooth! I am a white female who was born in America (Titusville, FL to be precise) and I have just decided that we have sent far too many of our tax dollars to those people. They should quit taking and taking and taking from the Palestinians. The Palestinians have had far too much taken from them already. It is no wonder they want to fight back. It has passed the time when we should have stopped sending Israel ANY of our money. Let them pay their own way.


by stn_sage November 17, 2009 9:09 PM EST: So, the 'puppet' is going to sprout a backbone and talk back to the 'puppet-master' for once, huh? Instead, of being pushed around on the latest assault of the Israeli nation against the Palestinians, marvelous!

If America's leaders had shown some courage, common sense, and intelligence, then this country wouldn't continually be manipulated by the idiot leaders over there!; Reply to this comment


by wdh3007 November 17, 2009 6:50 PM EST: I hope Israel continues to build so that the fraud in chief and his spokes mouth will mind their business instead of sticking their nose in it.; Reply to this comment