Israel Breaks with U.S., Rejects Call to Stop Jerusalem Project

In a fairly bold move, Israel continues to ignore the desires of the international community with regards to its actions in Jerusalem. On Sunday, the Jewish state rejected a call from the U.S., its closest ally and benefactor, to stop a planned housing project in east Jerusalem. The decision by Israel’s leaders threatens to exacerbate the already-tense disagreement with the U.S. Israel officials noted yesterday that their country’s ambassador to the U.S., Michael Oren, met with State Department officials and specifically told that a planned 20-apartment project should not go ahead.

Settlements built on captured lands that are claimed by Palestinians has already been a sore point between Israel and the Obama administration, with Obama’s concerns centering on the difficulty in promoting peace in the region should Israel continue to make such moves. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyaho did recently give in to U.S. desires to endorse a Palestinian state, but he is now breaking with his chief ally on this point.

Netanyahu said yesterday, "We cannot accept the fact that Jews wouldn’t be entitled to live and buy anywhere in Jerusalem." He went on to say that Israeli’s sovereignty in the entire city was "indisputable" and used a bit of rhetorical flourish to make his point, noting, "I can only imagine what would happen if someone suggested Jews could not live in certain neighborhoods in New York, London, Paris or Rome. There would certainly be a major international outcry." With the move, Netanyahu sets a dangerous precedent, as his country essentially exists in the center of a seething caldron of Muslim hatred, protected by a strong internal military certainly, but, more to the point, undeniably under the protection of the U.S.