« A Real Revolution in the Making in the U.S. Health Care IndustryTargeting Muslim Charities in America »

Gilo and Last Straws

November 24th, 2009

eileen fleming

On the Palestinian side of the 1967 Green Line, upon a hilltop southwest of occupied East Jerusalem and separated from Beit Jala [a suburb of Bethlehem] by a deep gorge, is Gilo.

Gilo is understood to be an illegal settlement by the United Nations and European Union, but Israel and the US spin it as a neighborhood.

This week's announcement of Israel's plan to build 900 more dwellings in Gilo with a price tag of NIS 1.86 million for a 5-room apartment has garnered international criticism as well as from the US.

Akiva Eldar wrote for Haaretz, that "there are at least three reasons for Obama to take out his anger on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the Gilo affair. The decision to approve the Gilo expansion is one more nail in Abbas' political coffin and one more blow to Obama's prestige.

"Second, Washington, as opposed to Jerusalem, paid attention to the fact that this is public, and not private, construction [of] 900 new apartments…They know that if Netanyahu had wanted he could have ordered Interior Minister Eli Yishai to postpone the discussion in the regional planning council…The impassioned reaction to U.S. Middle East Envoy George Mitchell's request to postpone the Gilo plan outraged Obama and his staff even more than the act itself." [1]

President Obama had been discussing with President Abbas America's support for a final-status arrangement based on the 1967 borders and Netanyahu's behavior in the Gilo affair could be the last straw he needs to propel him to replace talk with action.

Haaretz journalist, Jack Khoury reported that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said, "If [Israeli and U.S.] intentions are sincere, then I am still here and have been here for years - they could have reached a deal with me already. I told President Obama, if you can't halt [settlements] why could I? The existing political situation and Israel's consistent refusal, particularly with regard to settlements and East Jerusalem, make my direction [not to run for reelection] very clear. There is nowhere to go." [2]

On November 16, 2009, a joint communique issued from Cairo by Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak "stressed the need for an immediate cessation of Israeli unilateral actions, particularly the building of settlements and jeopardizing the identity of Jerusalem and holy places".

The two leaders also agreed with President Mahmoud Abbas' rejection of resuming negotiations until Israel stops all forms of settlement construction.

King Abdullah II cautioned Israel that "Jerusalem is a red line and Israel must internalize the importance the city holds for Arabs and Christian Muslims, and stop playing with fire."

He added that if construction of settlements does not cease as a condition for renewed negotiations, then the Americans and international community must intervene.

The King also stressed that negotiations must address a permanent agreement; final borders, Palestinian refugees and that the outcome of the negotiations must lead to the promise of the establishment of a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital.

A press release from Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, General Secretary for the World Council of Churches/WCC declared, "The WCC strongly condemns the decision of the government of Israel to expand the illegal Gilo settlement as we believe that this decision will hinder attempts now in process to restart the peace negotiations. In fact, this decision to expand settlements is a violation of international law. Gilo is built on Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. Any expansion of settlements perpetuates illegality. At a time when Palestinians—many of them impoverished—are routinely denied legitimate applications to build homes on their own land, the decision to approve construction of 900 new four- and five-bedroom housing units that will bring relatively affluent Israelis to occupied land is deplorable."

The WCC Central Committee had also recently expressed that "the continuous settlement of lands beyond Israel’s internationally recognized borders (the 1949 Green Line borders) is almost universally rejected…because it is illegal, unjust, and incompatible with peace and antithetical to the legitimate interests of the state of Israel…if settlements continue to expand and proliferate, they will further complicate negotiations and may destroy any chance for peace." [3]

The ongoing illegal settlements preclude a viable and contiguous Palestinian state. Israel's denial of the rights of the indigenous Palestinian people and disregard of international public opinion could well propel people of conscience in the international community and the Obama White House toward a resolution of the Israel Palestine conflict. It is decades old policies that have driven the untenable situation to a point of no return and it is an essential national security interest for America and Israel that a just and lasting resolution of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians be brokered.

The last straw that broke the camel's back, is universally understood to be the final of a series of annoyances and disappointments that leads to a final loss of patience, temper, trust, or hope.

The International Community once united against the Third Reich's atrocities. The time is ripe for the International Community to unite against the inhumanity being perpetuated in the Holy Land, and Gilo just may prove to be the straw that broke this camel's back.

1. http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1129196.html

2. http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1129308.html

3. http://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/general-secretary/statements/gilo-settlement-expansion.html

-###-

Only in Solidarity do "we have it in our power to begin the world again."-Tom Paine

Eileen Fleming,
Founder of WeAreWideAwake.org
A Feature Correspondent for Arabisto.com
Author of "Keep Hope Alive" and "Memoirs of a Nice Irish American 'Girl's' Life in Occupied Territory"
Producer "30 Minutes with Vanunu" and "13 Minutes with Vanunu"

No feedback yet

Voices

Voices

  • Paul Craig Roberts Jobs Offshoring and Work Visas Are Means of Enriching Corporate Executives with “Performance bonuses” for Replacing American Labor with Lower Paid Foreign Labor, thus Reducing Aggregate Demand in the US From The Failure of Laissez…
  • By David Swanson Wouldn’t it be nice if the war in Ukraine were entirely one side’s fault, if the U.S. had one political party that did everything perfectly, if USAID had only ever caused either benefit or harm, and if all the self-contradictory…
  • Janet Campbell Image: Freepik When you care deeply about a cause, it’s natural to want to make an impact. But taking meaningful action in your community isn’t just about passion—it’s about strategy, persistence, and connection. Whether you’re advocating…
  • Paul Craig Roberts and Larry Sparano Discuss the Fight Ahead This is my interview by Larry Sparano of a few days ago prior to my learning, as I posted yesterday, that the temporary injunctions that judges are issuing against Trump and Musk’s activities…
  • Andrew Korybko Andrew Korybko's Newsletter The US could move its nascent “New Détente” with Russia further along by either forcing the G7 and UNGA Resolution sponsors to change their language about “Russian aggression” or refusing to attach its name to…
  • Paul Craig Roberts If there is gold in Ft. Knox, whose is it? Many bullion dealers believe that any gold in Ft. Knox is not ours. Over the decades the gold was “leased” to bullion dealers who sold it into the gold market, thereby protecting the value of…
  • Dr. Vladislav B. Sotirovic “Dresden was known as a city that was overcrowded by up to 500,000 German refugees from the east.” The Three Men of Slashing        It was in May/September 1945 when WWII ended – the bloodiest and most horrible war ever fought…
  • Robert David The so-called ‘free market’ was never free—it’s a stage-managed spectacle where financial elites dictate the rules, rig the system, and ensure that true competition never sees the light of day. What if the so-called 'free market' was never…
  • Chris Spencer Discover the powerful herbs and vitamins that support neurogenesis and neuroprotection, promoting brain health and resilience against cognitive decline. Key players like Bacopa Monnieri, Ashwagandha, Omega-3s, and Vitamin D provide…
  • Tracy Turner Discover how pro-Zionist media outlets shape narratives around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This article explores tactics such as framing and selective omission, which often portray Israel as a victim while overlooking Palestinian…
February 2025
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
 << <   > >>
            1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28  

  XML Feeds

Website builder
FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted articles and information about environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. This news and information is displayed without profit for educational purposes, in accordance with, Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of the US Copyright Law. Thepeoplesvoice.org is a non-advocacy internet web site, edited by non-affiliated U.S. citizens. editor
ozlu Sozler GereksizGercek Hava Durumu Firma Rehberi Hava Durumu Firma Rehberi E-okul Veli Firma Rehberi