And what about the Palestinian incitement?
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden sparked headlines Tuesday in Jerusalem by denouncing an Israeli decision to authorize new housing starts in eastern Jerusalem as "undermining the trust" that he needs to advance peace while in the region.
Several left-wing Jewish groups joined Biden in criticzing the move, saying that it would undermine the start of so-called Israeli-Palestinian proximity talks.
Ori Nir, Americans for Peace Now spokesman:
Announcing plans for East Jerusalem construction is a perfect example of what Israel cannot be doing if it is acting in good faith and wants to be taken seriously as a partner in negotiations. This announcement is a slap in the face of not only the Palestinians, the Arab states, and the Obama Administration, but of the entire peace effort.
Hadar Susskind, J Street's director of policy and strategy:
J Street joins Vice President Biden in condemning Israel's announcement of new East Jerusalem construction that only serves to hinder Middle East peace efforts, particularly as the Israelis and Palestinians begin proximity talks. As Vice President Biden said, this is "precisely the kind of step that undermines the trust we need right now."
In response to claims that they are picking on Israel by focusing so heavily on settlements, the White House and left-wing Jewish groups often counter by saying that they are equally concerns about areas where the Palestinians need to do better, particularly on ending incitement.
Well, it turns out that the Palestinians have their own timing issues: On Thursday, according to Palestinian Media Watch, the Palestinian Authority is planning to go through with plans to name a public square after Dalal Mughrabi, who led a 1978 bus hijacking in which 37 Israelis, including 12 children, were killed.
Thursday is the 32nd anniversary of the attack. Biden will still be in town. So it'll be interesting to see if he wieghs in, as he did on the Israeli housing starts.
Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America, has more:
The record shows that within the PA, few opportunities are missed to glorify a terrorist, celebrate a suicide bomber, or inculcate Palestinian youth into worshipping cold-blooded murderers. The record also shows that all aspects of PA life -- the schools, youth movements, sports teams, newspapers, TV, even the names of streets -- are made vehicles for honoring and praising terrorism. This in turn breeds more terrorists and bloodshed.
The ZOA has long maintained that Mahmoud Abbas, the PA that he heads and the Fatah party that controls it and which he co-founded, are unreconstructed supporters of terrorism and not genuine moderates and peace makers. In fact, it is incumbent upon all civilized people to call Abbas and Fayyad as evil leaders of an evil regime.
A Palestinian leader who neither arrests terrorists nor ceases to honor them is not one who will lead Palestinians on a new path of peace and reconciliation.
Given this shocking record, we renew our long-standing call for the Obama Administration to desist from ignoring the incitement to hatred and murder within the PA and to insist in talks with Abbas and other PA officials that the PA takes immediate action to comprehensively end this glorification of terror. Only when Palestinians reject the idea that it is a religious and national duty to murder Jews and to celebrate those among them who act on this instruction will there be any prospect of peace.”
UPDATE: Apparently the PA is reading the blog -- how else to explain that the ceremony has been cancelled? Also interesting... Israel plans to step up monitoring of incitement.
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Mr. Steinlauf,
Many of us in Israel are indeed contemplating the mangled bodies of our countrymen, be they Jewish, Muslim, or Christian. Until liberty reigns in this land for all the inhabitants there will be no peace.
Lest we forget, Samuel Adams was referring only to the Europeans who had wrested North America from the Native Americans, decimating their nations, and at the time of the quote, were keeping Africans in servitude.
Samuel Adams also said:
“Among the natural rights of the colonists are these: First a right to life, secondly to liberty, and thirdly to property; together with the right to defend them in the best manner they can”
I assume you apply these colonial rights also to the Jewish citizens of Israel.
This is the 21st century. Colonization is unacceptable!
All good people in this country condemn the slaughter of civilians, whether committed by private militias, or the troops of the PA or the IDF. However until the state of Israel ceases to colonize Occupied lands in east Jerusalem and the West Bank, there will be no possibility of peace, justice, or reconciliation.
First must come political liberty for all. Only when all my neighbors enjoy the same freedoms that I do, will we be able to address the injustices of the past and present, and gain security for everyone. Let freedom reign!
So said Vice President Biden as he arrived in Israel. Why? What about this moment-when Palestinians are once again throwing rocks down on Jewish worshippers at the Western Wall; when the Palestinian Authority (PA) negates Jewish historic and religious attachment to the Cave of Machpela and Rachel’s Tomb; when Salaam Fayyad and Abu Mazen travel around Europe demanding that countries recognize an independent Palestine when they decide unilaterally to declare one (the Kosovo option); when PA officials are trying to keep Palestinians from working in West Bank industrial zones; when the United States has been asked to demand that Israel scale back its “hot pursuit” of terrorists-what exactly about this moment makes it one of “opportunity”? (Read more) http://calevbenyefuneh.blogspot.com/2010/03/moment-of-real-opportunity.html
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Walter H. Steinlauf
03/10/10 06:55 PM
RE: “Several left-wing Jewish groups joined Biden ....”
Whosoever ARE these Left-Wing Jewish Groups? Have they No Shame, No Integrity, No Sense of Self and the “Jewish Common History?” I think NOT!
A great American once said, “Contemplate the mangled bodies of your countrymen, and then say, ‘What should be the reward of such sacrifices?’ ... If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!” --Samuel Adams
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I Will Forget these Left-Wing Jews; I will not forgive!