Honestly, this unwavernig support is the most baffling aspect of the US....
Hopefully the Israeli overtures to China dont take hold, because the last thing the world need is Israel jumping to the next superpowers breast.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090528/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians;_ylt=Ajq8Mit7Kgl35HeyoNYkI.dzfNdF
By MATTI FRIEDMAN, Associated Press Writer–ThuMay28, 9:42amET
JERUSALEM –Israeldefied a surprisingly blunt U.S. demand that it freeze all building inWest BankJewish settlements, saying Thursday it will press ahead with construction.
U.S. Secretary ofState Hillary Rodham Clintonsaid Wednesday thatPresident Barack Obamawants Israel to halt to all settlement construction — including "natural growth." She was referring to Israel's insistence that new construction is necessary to accommodate the expansion of families already living in existing settlements.
Government spokesmanMark Regevresponded by saying "normal life in those communities must be allowed to continue." He confirmed that this meant some construction will continue in existing settlements.
The new conflict with Washington came on the same day Obama was to meetPalestinian President Mahmoud Abbasat theWhite House. Abbas has said the Palestinian demand for freezing settlements will be at the top of his agenda in the talks.
Obama's administration has been more explicit in its criticism ofIsraeli settlement policythan its predecessor. The U.S. and much of the world consider the settlements an obstacle to peace because they are built on land the Palestinians claim for a future state.
More than 280,000 Jewish settlers live among more than 2 millionPalestiniansin the West Bank.
Regev said the fate of existing settlements will be determined in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. He said Israel has pledged to build no new settlements and to remove unauthorized outposts in the West Bank.
While Israel could flout U.S. opposition, it is wary of picking a fight with its closest and most important ally.
Israeli officials proposed a compromise earlier this week. In exchange for removing some 22 outposts, they would ask the U.S. to permit new construction in existing settlements. Clinton's remarks followed that proposal.
But even the limited step of removing outposts faces stiff opposition from the Israeli right. Settler news siteArutz Shevareported Thursday that leading rabbis linked to thesettlement movementhad issued a call to soldiers to disobey orders to demolish the outposts.
"The holy Torah (scripture) prohibits taking part in any act of uprooting Jews from any part of our sacred land," the site quoted the rabbis' statement as saying.
The new Israeli and the U.S. leaders have strikingly different approaches to Israeli-Palestinian relations. Netanyahu refuses to endorse Palestinian independence, a notion supported by Obama, his predecessor and the previous Israeli government.
Clinton said Obama told Netanyahu last week when the two met at theWhite Housethat the U.S. sees stopping settlements as key to a peace deal that would see a Palestinian state created alongside Israel.
"He wants to see a stop to settlements — not some settlements, not outposts, not 'natural growth' exceptions," Clinton said. "We think it is in the best interests (of the peace process) that settlement expansion cease. That is our position. That is what we have communicated very clearly. ... And we intend to press that point."
The U.S. and many other Western countries have been dealing with Abbas, who leads the Palestinian Authority from theWest Bank, while mostly shunning the militant IslamicHamasgroup that controls theGaza Strip.
Hamas took overGazanearly two years ago after routing Abbas' forces in bloody street battles. Repeated attempts to reconcile between the two bitter rivals have failed to yield any results.
A senior Hamas militant was killed Thursday by Israeli forces in theWest Bank city of Hebronafter a 14-year manhunt.
The Israeli military said they surrounded the militant's house and called on him to surrender, but he instead opened fire at soldiers who shot back and killed him.
The military said the wanted man, Abed Majid Daodin, 45, had recruited and dispatchedsuicide bombers, including two who killed 10 Israelis and wounded over 100 when they blew themselves up on commuter buses in 1995.
Daodin was jailed by the Palestinian Authority after the bombings but was set free after violence erupted between Israel and thePalestiniansin 2000.
Hamas vowed to avenge the militants death.
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