Vice President Joe Biden posed for pictures yesterday near Tel Aviv with his wife, Jill, members of a US aviation regiment, Israeli soldiers, and the nation’s defense minister, Ehud Barak. (Bernat Armangue/Associated Press)
He was over there taking orders, folks.
"In Israel, Biden affirms US stance against Iran’s nuclear ambitions" by Janine Zacharia, Washington Post | March 12, 2010
JERUSALEM — Vice President Joe Biden yesterday assured Israelis that the United States is determined to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and urged Arab states, equally worried about Tehran’s nuclear program, to take steps toward peace with Israel.
Biden drew a link between the effort to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions and that of trying to push forward peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
“They are connected indirectly, but there is a relationship,’’ Biden said in a speech at Tel Aviv University.
Beyond reaffirming US support for Israel’s security, Biden told Israelis that “the status quo is not sustainable’’ in terms of the conflict with the Palestinians and pressed Israel to make a peace deal with President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad of the Palestinian Authority.
Biden said Israel should act while it still has partners who share the goal of a two-state solution.
Biden welcomed a statement released by the office of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, shortly before he took to the podium in which he emphasized that the construction of 1,600 homes in a disputed area of Jerusalem would not begin for at least a year.
The announcement of construction in Ramat Shlomo overshadowed Biden’s trip, meant originally as a celebration of the US-Israel alliance. It caused the Palestinians to balk at returning to US-mediated negotiations on a final peace deal.
The approval of new housing forced Biden to condemn Israel’s actions.
Netanyahu took pains to mend fences, saying he regretted the timing of the announcement, though not the actual building itself.... it would not be canceled.
I'm tired of the fake food fight.
Biden hoped that would be enough to salvage indirect negotiations on the future of Jerusalem. But the Palestinians said yesterday that they want the project revoked before talks begin....
After doing the back-channel thing I trust the PA Palestinians as much as the Israelis, and they are the only ones the USraelis talk with.
Abbas told Amr Moussa, Arab League secretary general, on Wednesday that he had decided not to enter the talks for now. The Arab League had endorsed a four-month framework for the US-mediated negotiations.
Related: Arab League Endorses Israel
“The Palestinian side is not ready to negotiate under the present circumstances,’’ Moussa said in Cairo.
As if there ever were actual negotiations.
The negotiations generally consist of Israeli demands, and if Palestinians meet those demands it is "Oh, yeah, one more thing...."
--more--"
Oh, yeah, Israel is also going to get to the bottom of all this!
"Israel to investigate fiasco with Biden
JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered an investigation into how government officials announced plans for a new Jewish housing project in east Jerusalem during a visit by Vice President Joe Biden. Netanyahu’s office said he ordered the investigation late yesterday. While Biden was visiting last week, Israel’s Interior Ministry said it approved plans to build 1,600 homes for Jews in disputed east Jerusalem. Biden condemned the announcement, which overshadowed his visit. Netanyahu has apologized for the timing but did not say he would cancel the permits (AP)."
Pffft!
Yeah, nobody is buying the BS anymore, Israel.
You blew it, you arrogant f***s.
Now destroy yourselves quickly like all criminal enterprises and empires.
