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State Dept.: Obama’s Demands To Stop West Bank Expansion Includes Jerusalem
By David Bedein, Middle East Correspondent
Jerusalem — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has issued an unprecedented statement clarifying President Barack Obama’s demands for Israel to stop expanding Jewish communities in areas it acquired following the 1967 Six-Day War, including Jerusalem.
The statement, issued Wednesday, applies to the area known in Israel by their Biblical names, Judea and Samaria, and as the West Bank by the international community.
There are now 128 Jewish communities in these areas, with a population of almost 300,000 Jews.
Mrs. Clinton explained President Obama demands that there should be no expansion in these communities for the purpose of “natural growth.”
That would include an American demand to stop construction of kindergartens, schools and housing for young couples.
“West Bank maps” issued by the United Nations also include 18 Jewish neighborhoods inside the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem, in areas inside the city that Israel formally annexed after the 1967 war.
One of the Jerusalem neighborhoods resettled by Jews after the 1967 war is the Old City of Jerusalem, which hosts the Temple Mount, the holiest place in the world to the Jewish people.
Ms. Clinton’s press spokesman was asked if President Obama’s demand to halt expansion of “West Bank Jewish communities” included a demand to stop expansion of Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem.
The answer was affirmative. The U.S. State Department demands that Israel limit Jewish growth in these areas of Jerusalem, “whose status remains to be determined” in negotiations.
Israeli Government Press Director Daniel Seamen reacted to this Obama administration statement by saying: “I have to admire the residents of Iroquois territory for assuming that they have a right to determine where Jews should live in Jerusalem.”
David Bedein can be reached at bedein@thebulletin.us
The statement, issued Wednesday, applies to the area known in Israel by their Biblical names, Judea and Samaria, and as the West Bank by the international community.
There are now 128 Jewish communities in these areas, with a population of almost 300,000 Jews.
Mrs. Clinton explained President Obama demands that there should be no expansion in these communities for the purpose of “natural growth.”
That would include an American demand to stop construction of kindergartens, schools and housing for young couples.
“West Bank maps” issued by the United Nations also include 18 Jewish neighborhoods inside the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem, in areas inside the city that Israel formally annexed after the 1967 war.
One of the Jerusalem neighborhoods resettled by Jews after the 1967 war is the Old City of Jerusalem, which hosts the Temple Mount, the holiest place in the world to the Jewish people.
Ms. Clinton’s press spokesman was asked if President Obama’s demand to halt expansion of “West Bank Jewish communities” included a demand to stop expansion of Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem.
The answer was affirmative. The U.S. State Department demands that Israel limit Jewish growth in these areas of Jerusalem, “whose status remains to be determined” in negotiations.
Israeli Government Press Director Daniel Seamen reacted to this Obama administration statement by saying: “I have to admire the residents of Iroquois territory for assuming that they have a right to determine where Jews should live in Jerusalem.”
David Bedein can be reached at bedein@thebulletin.us
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Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of thebulletin.us.
YMedad wrote on Jun 2, 2009 2:57 AM:
" What would happen if Arab communities inside pre-1967 Israel were to be termed "settlements"? Could their natural growth be terminated, or at least frozen? Could the residents be expelled, their homes dismantled? "
mash358 wrote on Jun 2, 2009 3:32 PM:
" Baraq Hussein Obama intends to pander to the Moslem world, as evidenced by his bow from the waist to the King of Saudi Arabia, an action without precedent in American history.
He is endangering the entire free world, not just Israel.
America will eventually recognise that the Moslem world is its enemy. Time is running out. "
He is endangering the entire free world, not just Israel.
America will eventually recognise that the Moslem world is its enemy. Time is running out. "
lgeubank wrote on Jun 2, 2009 10:23 PM:
" Don't we have enough problems of our own to solve, without micro-managing Israel's fight for survival against (what is it?) twenty million ravening Muslin savages surrounding them?
Solve our economic problems, Barack, Hillary; then we'll know you're wise enough to dictate to everybody else in the world. "
Solve our economic problems, Barack, Hillary; then we'll know you're wise enough to dictate to everybody else in the world. "
haikunick wrote on Jun 3, 2009 3:59 PM:
" Well at least the US recognizes our first peoples as voting citizens. Israelis treat Palestinians like vagrants and criminals. Being jewish, it seems, is all you need for a construction permit. It's time we hold the Israeli government to their own higher standards. "
charliegirl42 wrote on Jun 9, 2009 4:38 PM:
" The current occupant of the White House speaks for neither me nor my family. He is a usurper; a pretender to the Oval Office. He is a radical communist and no matter what he "demands" Israel must do as she thinks best. If Israel acquired those areas as a result of the 6-day war, then she should be able to do with them as she pleases, no doubt about it.
And for him to make demands is absolutely ludicrous not to mention brazen. He fired the CEO of GM, so I guess he thinks he can throw his weight around. What a moron. "
And for him to make demands is absolutely ludicrous not to mention brazen. He fired the CEO of GM, so I guess he thinks he can throw his weight around. What a moron. "
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davidbedein wrote on Jun 1, 2009 8:31 AM: