US deal 'wrecks Middle East peace'

[Snazzy]

US deal 'wrecks Middle East peace'

Conal Urquhart in Tel Aviv
Monday August 23, 2004
The Guardian

The US was yesterday accused by Palestinian leaders of destroying hopes for peace in the Middle East by giving its covert support to Israel's expansion of controversial settlements in the West Bank.

American officials are privately admitting they have abandoned their demands that Israel freeze settlement activity, and have given Jerusalem tacit permission to build thousands of new homes on the disputed land.

Palestinians fear that the expansion of settlements will make it impossible to establish a viable state on the land Israel took from Jordan in the 1967 war.

Ahmed Qureia, the Palestinian prime minister, said the US position would destroy the peace process, and Amr Moussa, secretary general of the Arab League, said America's unilateral redrawing of the road map was "a very grave development".

....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1288826,00.html

[JSJ]

1. an election year ploy...

...to garner even more support from American Israelists. Very cynical and very lethal to the chances of Middle East peace.

[alittlelark]

2. They just want the support of WEALTHY Israeli's in the US

The rest of them vote 80-90% DEM.

Why did Hitler hate the Jews? They were highly %age wise communistic.

But, once you add in $$$$ all bets are off in religion.

This will backfire in # of voters, and be a sucess in the # of high $$$$ contributors help out the facists.

[Radius]

6. Hitler

hated Jews for the same reason he hated gays, gypsies, and anyone else who was not German, because he was evil. If there had been blacks or Asians in Germany he would have killed them too.

Jews in Germany were similar to Jews here, they held all types of jobs and positions. Einstein was not communist, nor were most Jews in Germany, be careful, your claim is not historically accurate.

I'm sure you mean no harm but your comment leaves you open to attack.

Most Jews int he US vote Democratic, however some, not all consider the state of Israel in their vote.

[geek tragedy]

7. Why was there anti-Semitism before Communism, then?

You don't really believe that crap, do you?

[geek tragedy]

3. Peace dies for the 1000th time. n/t

[Dover]

4. People just don't get it. "Peace" is not on the Bushco agenda....

they destroy, they make war, they thrive and profit from chaos...consequences be damned. Period.

If this weren't an election year, things would be much worse.

[Snazzy]

5. Israel Announces West Bank Housing Plans

Israel Announces West Bank Housing Plans

Aug 23, 5:46 PM (ET)

By JOSEF FEDERMAN


JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel announced plans Monday for 500 new housing units in the West Bank, after an apparent U.S. policy shift that has infuriated the Palestinians. The Palestinians oppose all Jewish settlement in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, lands where they hope to establish an independent state.

...

The United States, which supports the Gaza pullout plan, has signaled recently that it will allow Israel to build inside existing West Bank settlements, while remaining opposed to construction in undeveloped areas. In the past, Washington has objected to all settlement construction.

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman Adam Ereli reinforced those signals Monday when he characterized the construction freeze as an ultimate goal, adding, "And we will continue to work with the government of Israel toward a settlement freeze, as is called for in the road map."

The Palestinians have said that U.S. approval of the new construction would threaten prospects for peace, and they demanded a clarification from Washington.

....

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040823/D84L6BKO1.html

Edit: Yahoo link:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=535&e=4&u=/ap/20040823/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians

Reuters version:

Israel Plans 530 Settler Homes, U.S. Acquiesces
1 hour, 23 minutes ago Add World - Reuters to My Yahoo!


By Mark Heinrich

HAR GILO, West Bank (Reuters) - Israel plans to build 530 new settler homes in the occupied West Bank after Washington softened its opposition to growth in Jewish enclaves, a policy shift Palestinians say will make peace impossible.

Israeli political sources said Monday the construction, together with tenders for 1,000 other homes approved last week by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites), would mainly affect settlements near Jerusalem and be in full swing by the end of 2004.

...

President Bush is seen as inclined to accept some building in settlements now to avoid offending Jewish-American voters who favor settlements, and conservative Christian supporters of Israel as he fights for re-election in November.

....

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=586&e=1&u=/nm/20040823/wl_nm/mideast_dc