White House “Regrets” Israel’s West Bank Settlement Building
EmailABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports:The White House has some strong words following reports that Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu intends to approve hundreds of more homes in West Bank settlements, before the expected slowdown and limitations on settlement building. The White House as well as the Palestinian and Arab world has insisted on a complete settlement freeze, as a condition of restarting peace talks. ”We regret the reports of Israel's plans to approve additional settlement construction,” a paper statement from the White house released this morning says, “Continued settlement activity is inconsistent with Israel's commitment under the Roadmap. As the President has said before, the United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement expansion and we urge that it stop.” The White House says they are working to create a climate in which negotiations can take place, and actions like Israel’s this week, make it harder to create such a climate. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs insisted that progress is still being made, despite moves like today, and that no one ever thought it would be a “smooth, glide path.” “There will be bumps along the way with all those involved,” Gibbs told reporters this morning. The White House praised Israel’s intent in the past to place limits on settlement activity – and said they will continue to discuss this with the Israeli as the limitations are defined. “The U.S. commitment to Israel’s security is and will remain unshakeable,” The White House said, “We believe it can best be achieved through comprehensive peace in the region, including a two-state solution with a Palestinian state living side by side in peace with Israel.” The President’s Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, will return to the region next week, in a previously scheduled trip, to discuss the settlement freeze with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. -Sunlen Miller
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I wonder if the Israelis have figured out that Obama is not their friend yet.
Posted by: PotatoeGater22 | September 4, 2009, 4:38 pm 4:38 pm
maybe thats what was in the second letter Obama sent to Iran…”how can we get rid of Israel?”
Posted by: The tax man cometh | September 4, 2009, 4:46 pm 4:46 pm
Israel is no friend to America! The arrogance of Isreal is wrong. Building more homes on Palestinian land will continue to inflame the middle east and cause America more harm. Remember the USS Liberty!!!!!
Posted by: john copeland | September 4, 2009, 5:00 pm 5:00 pm
“I wonder if the Israelis have figured out that Obama is not their friend yet.”
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Israel won’t even follow the Road Map they agreed to under the former President.
I wonder if Israel is a friend to anybody but themselves.
Posted by: sylvia | September 4, 2009, 5:01 pm 5:01 pm
it’s time for Israel to fight it’s own battles. No more U.s. wars for Israels sake.
They are full grown now. Let them govern on their own.
Posted by: gus amaral | September 4, 2009, 5:39 pm 5:39 pm
I think it is time to treat Israel like everybody else. Oh wait, we give everybody aid. And we are broke……
Posted by: Huh | September 4, 2009, 5:48 pm 5:48 pm
Palestinian land grabbing is illegal; it’s against the Egypt Israel treaty signed in 1979- Israel to retreat to it’s pre-1967 border.
The antagonism further infuriates tensions with open access to the holy sites, control of access to water and armed check points on Israeli roads,
the Gaza strip, and ultimately Iran.
Disgusting.
Let Israel fight their own battles.
The White House is correct.
Posted by: gus amaral | September 4, 2009, 5:50 pm 5:50 pm
No more U.S. wars for the sake of Israel.
Posted by: potato in my pants | September 4, 2009, 6:04 pm 6:04 pm
I am not Jewish, but Christian. I think that Obama and Hillary totally failed and biased policy between American Ally, Israel and Palestinian including part of terror group, Hamas. If Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu give their Lands, West Bank up again, which Jewish DECENDANTS have lived in there for few thousands years more?
NO WAY, PALESTINIAN, TERRORISTS AND SOME MUSLIM COUNTRIES NEVER NEVER NEVER ARE SATISFIED WITH THE LAND BECAUSE THEIR DEMENDS ARE ENDLESS…….
Posted by: Janet | September 4, 2009, 11:05 pm 11:05 pm
West Bank up again, which Jewish DECENDANTS have lived in there for few thousands years more?-Janet When do the American Indians get their hunting grounds back?
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Posted by: Kenneth | September 4, 2009, 11:52 pm 11:52 pm
Not our problem.
Posted by: Who Cares | September 5, 2009, 12:09 am 12:09 am
Stop the aid. Let these groups figure out their destinies. If Israel continues this unabated cruelty, it will come to haunt them in the future. I say this because the technological gap is becoming smaller, and the US is getting poorer and losing any moral high ground that it once had and fast becoming insolvent. Besides we just took out a load of civilians in Afghanistan.
Posted by: Ben | September 5, 2009, 12:34 am 12:34 am
want to know about the East,about Isreal?what land belong to who?Read your old History books,The Holy Bible.do you know who is incontroll?There is only (ONE) Creator of All that has been created on EARTH,and Heaven.JEHOVIA GOD! Know what the Word BIBLE stand for? (B-being)(I-instruical) (B-before)(L-leaving)(E-earth)Don’t be Quick to Judge,anyone.Leave it up to the King Of Kings.We all know GOD will Over come.
Posted by: merrie | September 5, 2009, 3:23 am 3:23 am
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of a religious State, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the Palastinian people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Posted by: Kenneth | September 5, 2009, 10:31 am 10:31 am
When two sides want to deal, both should pony up something tangible. The US should butt-out instead of getting on one side against the other. I think everything should go ahead as there are now, until the arabs offer or take some positive action. (Lesson for US government)
Posted by: James L. | September 5, 2009, 11:13 am 11:13 am
the whole thing would be settled internally if the USA didn’t need so much Arab oil and if the US politicians didn’t need so much AIPAC money. So, obviously, the policy and goals are conflicted. Add a President that harbors who has questionable background and who was raised and mentored by people with “interesting” views about Jews and you have a foreign policy nightmare. We should leave them alone and take care of our business at home, at the border, and work with settling the violence in Mexico before we interfere half-way across the world!
Posted by: Ed | September 5, 2009, 12:56 pm 12:56 pm
give up land for peace are u kidding they gave up the gaza strip and hamas now runs that they were quoted as saying the holocaust was a myth no deal with people who think your a dog or much worse
Posted by: dm | September 5, 2009, 1:01 pm 1:01 pm
First, what wars did the US ever fight for Israel? Name one if you can. You can’t because there aren’t any.
President Obama has not yet figured out that peace is impossible when one side refuses to recognize Israel, and whose stated intentions are the death of the Jews. What compromises have the Palestinians made to promote peace? I mean besides sending missiles into Israeli towns trying to kill anyone they can? Why should Israel want to deal with those whose intent is to kill them? The US says it does not deal with terrorists, but also says Hamas is a terrorist organization. What hypocrisy.
Posted by: Larry M | September 5, 2009, 6:22 pm 6:22 pm
That’s because obama doesn’t get any respect.
Posted by: Reality2009 | September 5, 2009, 10:39 pm 10:39 pm
Just let them fight it out. I’m a christian and know that israel and the palestinians are both hostile toward each other. Let them kill each other off. How many times do we have to get involved with people who just wont reason. If they war, someone will be the victor, and it will be over… at least for now. We have our own ethical problems to deal with in our country.
Posted by: johndoe293 | September 6, 2009, 2:03 pm 2:03 pm