CMEP Newsletter: “The Struggle for Jerusalem”

Efforts by the Obama administration to get Israel and the Palestinians started down the path to a negotiated agreement took a sudden and unforeseen shift in March. Earlier this year Senator Mitchell orchestrated a deliberate process to bring the two sides together in “proximity” talks in which Mitchell would shuttle between the two sides.  President Obama was kept at a safe political distance.  All this was suddenly disrupted March 9 during a visit to Israel by the Vice President by the announcement that 1,600 new Israeli housing units were to be built in East Jerusalem.       
                     
This action seemed to undercut the whole idea of holding negotiations to decide about issues that  include borders and the status of Jerusalem. The Secretary of State questioned whether  the Netanyahu government was sincere about seeking an agreement.

When the President met in Washington with Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu he apparently asked directly for the suspension of further new housing construction in East Jerusalem as a way of getting talks started.

The direct involvement of the President in negotiations is a game changing event.  Israel asserts it has a right to build housing in East Jerusalem, but that right was asserted unilaterally with the  reluctant political acquiescence of the United States.   Any tacit U.S. support for new construction evaporated in Washington on March 23 when Prime Minster Netanyahu and President Obama failed to agree on a way around U.S. opposition.  It will be very hard now for the Prime Minister to bridge the differences between those in his coalition who insist on continuing expansion into Palestinian territories and the U.S. demand that new construction be suspended.

To view the rest of the article and the entire newsletter, click here.