freeofgreed
Member
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/06/world/middleeast/obama-israel-west-bank-settlements.html?ref=world
It feels like Obama is the only leader we're ever going to get who has the will to actually stand up towards Israel (however little it may actually be). Too bad it will all go down the drain once he leaves office as Hilary doesn't seem to be to keen on stopping them.
This is also one of the main reasons why I am opposed to US aid for Israel. Ignoring the fact that Israel is a developed country and thus shouldn't need it, I would be more accepting of it, if it actually gave us leverage to stop them from being fucking awful. But it seems like we're stuck in a perpetual cycle where we give them money and they still do whatever the hell they want to.
WASHINGTON The Obama administration on Wednesday castigated the Israeli government for approving plans to create a new Jewish settlement on the West Bank, three weeks after it signed a lucrative military aid package with the United States and a week after President Obama traveled to Jerusalem for the funeral of Shimon Peres.
In an uncommonly harsh statement, the State Department strongly condemned the move, saying it violated Israels pledge not to construct new settlements and ran counter to the long-term security interests Israel was seeking to protect with the military deal.
It is disheartening that while Israel and the world mourned the passing of President Shimon Peres, and leaders from the U.S. and other nations prepared to honor one of the great champions of peace, plans were advanced that would seriously undermine the prospects for a two-state solution that he so passionately supported, the State Departments deputy spokesman, Mark Toner, said in the four-paragraph statement.
The timing of the approval especially infuriated the White House, American officials said, because it came after Mr. Obama met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations. Mr. Netanyahu, they said, gave the president no advance warning, even though Mr. Obama expressed deep concerns about Israels continuing settlement construction. The officials declined to speak for attribution owing to the sensitivity of the issue.
The administration statement also rekindled speculation that Mr. Obama might lay down guidelines for a proposed peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians before he leaves office, either in a speech or, less likely, by backing a resolution at the United Nations Security Council.
The administration has been escalating its rhetoric in opposition to West Bank settlement activity for more than a year, said Martin S. Indyk, who served as Mr. Obamas special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. The government of Israel doesnt seem to be listening.
Mr. Obama, officials said, has kept his own counsel about whether to thrust himself back into the peace process. After two failed attempts to broker an agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians, the president is leery of getting involved in another hopeless effort, aides say. He would also likely consult with Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, were she to win the election to make sure his move did not complicate her plans.
It feels like Obama is the only leader we're ever going to get who has the will to actually stand up towards Israel (however little it may actually be). Too bad it will all go down the drain once he leaves office as Hilary doesn't seem to be to keen on stopping them.
This is also one of the main reasons why I am opposed to US aid for Israel. Ignoring the fact that Israel is a developed country and thus shouldn't need it, I would be more accepting of it, if it actually gave us leverage to stop them from being fucking awful. But it seems like we're stuck in a perpetual cycle where we give them money and they still do whatever the hell they want to.