Netanyahu cops flak for hawkish response to Palestinian UN success

The Israeli government’s decision to expand settlements is “a slap in the face for [the] US president,” according to former PM Ehud Olmert. He is the latest to join both domestic and foreign criticism of Israel’s punitive actions against Palestine.

(*)The Israeli government is unfreezing a controversial construction project in the occupied territories in retaliation for the Palestinian success at the UN. But the harsh stance is drawing criticism even from most loyal foreign allies of the Jewish state, including America. Meanwhile at home the hawkish prime minister faces resurge of opposition forces that can put his re-election prospects in doubt.


Netanyahu is enjoying a rise of popularity following the week-long war in Gaza, with his personal approval rating bouncing 11 percentage points, according to post-offensive polls. Together with his ally Avigdor Lieberman and ultra-orthodox and ultra-nationalist parties, he has a convincing lead two months ahead of the early election in January.


While maintaining domestic support, the Israeli PM is increasingly at odds with foreign friends. At the UN General Assembly vote on Thursday which granted Palestinians an upgraded status of non-member observer state, only nine countries voted against the proposition. Even nations that usually support Israel on most issues like Germany and Britain chose to abstain, and just one European nation, the Czech Republic, voted against.


“For Netanyahu to find himself all alone, with only a reluctant partner in Washington and seven other countries by his side, must surely have come as a shock,” wrote Foreign Policy magazine. It argues that Israel’s brief war with Hamas may have pushed Europeans to demonstrate approval for their Palestinian non-violent rival Fatah and its leader Mahmoud Abbas. The elected president of the Palestinian Authority (PA) champions the statehood bid, while Israel didn’t offer any tangible alternative, the magazine says.(*)

Tough defiant stance

(*)But rather than toning down its opposition to Palestinian statehood, the Netanyahu government is escalating the tension by taking a series of steps that can only be seen as punitive. Hours after the UN vote it announced construction of new homes in the occupied territories in the West Bank, the territory controlled by Fatah. The development would affect the sensitive E-1 area, the lands east of Jerusalem.


Critics of the previously frozen plan say that if it is carried out, it would dissect West Bank into northern and southern portions and isolate the Arab-inhabited East Jerusalem from the rest of the Palestinian territories. Daniel Seidemann of Ir Amim, a group that promotes coexistence in Jerusalem, called it “a doomsday scenario” that would “be the death of the two-state solution.”


The move was criticized by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her British counterpart William Hague. Turkish and Arab top officials condemned the construction plan, with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu saying it was “the time to show strong reactions to Israeli policies which undermine the peace process.”

Saeb Erekat, an aide to Mahmoud Abbas, said Netanyahu was “defying the whole international community and insisting on destroying the two-state solution,” with the move.

On Sunday, Israel went on to withhold US$120 million worth of taxes it collected from Palestinians this month. The money would normally go to the PA and constitute a major portion of the Abbas government budget. Israel will hold this month’s allotment to cover West Bank’s electricity debt.(*)

Israeli opposition gears up

(*)Israeli opposition politicians took the chance to criticize Netanyahu’s hawkish stance. Former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who said "the decision to build thousands of housing units as punishment to the Palestinians only punishes Israel … (and) only isolates Israel further."


Another veteran Israeli politician, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, called it “the worst slap in the face of a US president” who actually supported Israel by voting against Palestinian statehood.


Livni, who resigned from politics in May, made a sudden comeback on Tuesday leading a newly-established party. Olmert is rumored to also join the parliamentary run in a matter of days. An October opinion poll by Haaretz newspaper suggested that if the two were both taking parting in the upcoming election and joined forces with Yair Lapid form the new liberal party Yesh Atid, the left-centrist alliance would be strong enough to challenge the right-wing coalition

http://rt.com/news/israel-netanyahu-settlements-un-095/

Once again, we can see the true face of 'Israel', and what they really think of a democratic process.

What could be more fair than a vote by the international community? And yet, like a petulant little brat child that breaks toys, because, finally, someone has said 'no', or a vote has not gone in their favour FOR ONCE, how do these (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)s react, in terms of trying to improve relations with EVERYONE (who are clearly tired of them)....how do they show the world that Israel are law abiding and decent really..? By engaging in the very sort of actions which make them even further hated, around the world, and with no allies.

All that stuff about Jews and their high IQ must be made up, because I am not seeing the intellect there.

 

This is a serious mistake on Bibi's part.

God knows he is bad for Israel.

 

No mistake.

He is simply a manifestation of the collective nature there.

If it were not so, it would not go on.

 

I could not believe it when I heard about this.

what an arrogant, snotty little child he is.

He's screwing with Obama and that is likely to get him another serious slap upside the head. Obama has 4 more years and bibi is coming up on an election. wonder if Obama were to give a speech where he hinted that us military aid would be suspended until all settlement building was to stop.

Betcha bibi woulnd't get reelected and everyone on the planet would be better off.

Just sayin.........

 

A UN seat next to the Vatican for the Palestinians, 3,000 new homes and $120 million of their own money (that the PA neglected to pay back) for Israel. Well done Netanyahu!

 

I agree completely..

Wasn't it in 1953 that Eisenhower froze US aid to Israel?

 

Really?

Why not?

They did the same the last time something democratically went in favour of the Palestinians, I shall find out when and what, if you wish, it was not so long ago. They did the exact same thing. Look, even going right back to their terrorist origins, and they were terrorists, the moment they perceived themselves not to be getting everything they wanted, they threw their toys out of the pram, and engaged in acts of 20the century terrorism, long before idiots in America thought it be a a Muslim thing.

 

And its forgotten already.

Reasonably clever tactic. Generally, Palestinian politicians are prevented from touting their success to their people. Nonetheless, if the Palestinians reacte violently, Israel gets to point at them and say "look what you have voted for". Alternatively, peaceful objections are lost in the mood of back-slapping and self congratulations at the UN. The POTUS has just finished selling his soul to promote Israel at the UN and is blind-sided against making too much public fuss about their actions now. The Israeli politicians divert their own public's attention from their loss at the UN and the ultra-orthodox Jews are pacified. And of course Israel gets to move further to cutting off Jerusalem from the West Bank and so makes the loss of 50% of Jerusalem even less likely in the future.

I can't see a downside to the Israeli politicians from employing this tactic.

 

Jonsa doesn't seem to be able to grasp that Bibi's Zionist quest for Palestine, Lebanon, Syria et al is central to the ideological notion of Zionism as envisaged by Hertzl. This latest phase of what is essentially Cast Lead represents it's continuum.

 

Jonsa doesn't seem to be able to grasp that Bibi's Zionist quest for Palestine, Lebanon, Syria et al is central to the ideological notion of Zionism as envisaged by Hertzl. This latest phase of what is essentially Cast Lead represents it's continuum.

 

He once described Benny as a 'pragmatist', but it would be stretch of the term to apply it to that which is clearly only going to isolate you further, and reinforce the image of Israel/Zionist Jews being little more than those that want to go against law, and use Israel as nothing more than a crime syndacite.

 

I agree! And I hope it shows in the next elections in Israel!

 

Yet again we hear the usual excuse for anger and frustration from the likes of the so-called honest broker, the United States whose joint at the hip interests with Israel are so transparent as to be beyond a joke. It amazes me how intelligent people like Jonsa are apparently unable to recognise the sham for what it is.

 

More likely to support him more....

 

Honestly, if I were American, I would be ashamed that before the election, the most empassionate debate was two grown men both being slavish ...not to the US, not to US people, not to 98% of the US public, or domestic problems....but to kissing Jew butt, in Israel.

Then I would pick up a paper and read that of all the nations that could vote, that there were eight, one was Israel, and the other seven...well..come on..if that company is not telling, I don't know what it would take.

American Dream....they need to wake up mate.

 

He is a pragmatist.
He takes a practical approach. The fact that his perspective is not always correct, nor his intentions nor his goals, does not prevent him from taking the practical (to him approach). He has a reason for everything he does and says - hes a scumbag but he isn't a stupid scumbag.

 

By your reasoning and rationale, it would have been 'pragmatic' for the Reich to just kill Jews, rather than bother to go to the effort of keeping them alive.

 

well they did keep the ones that could work alive for a time, until exhaustion, starvation, physical abuse and disease got em. so you are correct the reich was pragmatic about who they killed and who they kept alive for a time.

always knew the krauts were pragmatic. they make a decent beer too.

 

Anyone still want to maintain that Israel wants nothing but peace? The sooner that lying, vindictive and duplicitous piece of sh1t Netanyahu goes, the better.

 

It doesn't matter who is at the helm, Snake. It could be argued that with so-called more moderate figures in power has the result of deflecting international scrutiny away from Israel than would otherwise be the case. It might be that the "pragmatism" of Netanyahu is wearing thin as far as Obama goes which means that the pressure is on for a replacement for "tactical" reasons. This is what Obama's impatience with him is really all about. Remember that Israeli Zionist political state interests run hand in hand with US Zionist Christian fundamentalist and right-wing economic interests.

 

Krauts?

Not heard that term, since the 80's, when English football hooligans were at their peak.

 

They would only replace him with one simiar, as they have every other time.

 

The ugly twin sisters.

 

Indeed....Similar in terms of the consequences for the Palestinian's. Both the the US and Israel would want rid of him not for any moral reasons, but because of PR reasons. Like I say, the imposition of another Zionist fanatic who just so happens to display a more "moderate" image, has the required effect of deflectng media scrutiny away from Israel. That is what the alleged dis-pleasure with Bibi is really all about.

 

Israel say they have a 'democracy'. Fine. Well, to my mind then, having voted in successive bastards, who have merely continued the occupation, blockade, land theft, settlements, and murder of women and children, they are MORE accountable than a population that could use the excuse of being under a 'dictatorship'.

They have routinely voted for criminals and war criminals, knowing full well what their policies would be. The only one remotely different to that, was murdered, shot in the back (fitting to nature).

Why are Germans today STILL paying money to Israel when A) Their deeds are not the deeds of their ancestors B) Their ancestors could claim to be living under a dictatorship.

Meantime, Israel violate more UNSC Res and the Geneva Convention, that Iran, China AND North Korea, put together. Made possible by their small population voting for it, time and again.

Therefore, I would make a legal arguement that if the Benny's of this world are criminally accountable, then by extension, so too are all that enable these men.