23, May 2011 ISRAEL Occupying more and more Palestinian Land
Israel continues
to undermine US peace efforts by gobbling up more Palestinian land. It acts
with complete impunity announcing yet another plan to build more than 1500 new
homes on two settlements around east Jerusalem. This announcement was made to
coincide with President Obama’s major Middle East speech. By doing so, Israel
is increasingly alienating its financial benefactor, the US, and further
isolating itself from the rest of the world. It has chosen to turn a deaf ear
to the political bedlam of its increasingly hostile neighbors which may
threaten its very existence. Why does Israel continue to have a choke hold on
our peace efforts? Why do we continue to fund Israel’s military machine and
apartheid polices denying Palestinians a homeland? Why do we remain silent to
Israel’s brutal actions? The recent slaying of 17 peaceful demonstrators should
have been vigorously condemned by the Obama administration.
Israel’s refusal to adhere to the pre-1967 borders,
citing ‘new realties on the ground’ seems to be code language for validating
illegal settlements.
Unfortunately, Prime Minister Netanyahu is pandering to
Israeli right wing extremists and engaging the US in a high noon showdown using
its political and economic clout to torpedo peace efforts. He would do well to
heed the advice of a 100 prominent
former Israeli security officials and leading academics who are vigorously
campaigning for an early resolution of the conflict.
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