Arutz Sheva reports:
The United States on Wednesday responded to Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon’s statement that a building freeze in Judea and Samaria was due to pressure from the Obama administration.
Speaking to reporters in Washington, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that objection to “settlements” was longstanding and would not change after President Barack Obama leaves office in 2017.
“Our policy has been consistent for quite some time,” Psaki told reporters,according to The Associated Press (AP).
Psaki is right but misses the point. Only under Obama was sufficient pressure applied to force Israel to comply. Israel never was forced to freeze construction by any past administrations.
Not totally true George Bush got Sharon to agree to stop settlement expansion and to build only within defined and already approved settlements. He even deducted the values of all building over the green line from the annual aid package Israel received during his terms in office.
Obama for what it’s worth has only continued the practice of Bush and even expanded upon it in some ways but all of the blame should not be laid only at Obama’s doorstep.
All Israeli PM’s have always had the option of saying NO!!! and going to the American people and congress as a counterweight, But that would take PM’s with spine and we haven’t had one of those yet.
I do not know how much influence I can wield, yet, if Netanyahu does not reverse the cowardly decision now, I will do my best to make the Likud fail.
Ya’alon must be replaced by a real Jewish defense oriented person, even if the above is done by Netanyahu.