Tuesday, March 16, 2010

There's no sign that Obama will punish his ally

Rupert Cornwell
The Independent

"The fracas over Israel's announcement of 1,600 new homes in disputed East Jerusalem is undoubtedly serious. But it also recalls the old children's ditty of how "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me".

The words have flown fast and furious in Washington since Israel, by accident or design, delivered this blow to the "peace process" with the Palestinians that the US is working so hard to revive – at the very moment vice-President Joe Biden was visiting the country. But there is no sign that the Obama administration, however genuine its anger, is about to take specific action to punish its ally. For that reason if no other, the talk of the worst crisis in relations between Washington and Jerusalem since Henry Kissinger demanded a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from Sinai in 1975 seems exaggerated......"

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