The U.S. is criticizing the most recent announcement by Israel that they are going to build another 700 new Jewish homes in the West Bank.

Here we go again- or, here we continue to go, more accurately.
The U.S. has made some characteristically diplomatic statements vaguely outlining an administrative disapproval, like the first rumbling of indigestion.

"The United States opposes new Israeli construction in East Jerusalem. Neither party should engage in efforts or take actions that could unilaterally preempt, or appear to preempt, negotiations. Rather, both parties should return to negotiations without preconditions as soon as possible," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs responded in a statement.

Now that has got to be one of the least aggressive, least meaningful rebukes of intention I have ever read. Israel denies American requests, world requests, and ignores the fact that they are supposed to be going for peace with the Palestinians and Hamas and decides to build hundreds of new houses in what is essentially occupied territory. Ridiculous. They are negotiating for the release of a soldier with Hamas and decide to completely disregard the idea of diplomacy. In addition to being an ego-centric move, it is completely outside of their authority in the first place- they don’t own the West Bank.
Neither side should engage in efforts or take actions that could preempt or appear to preempt negotiations? How about something with some teeth, Gibbs? Like, if you build 700 more houses we will cut off all aid to your country and institute a trade block until you sit still, respect your borders, and start acting like an actual country with a modicum of respect for the international diplomatic process.
Israel is doing nothing of the sort- indeed, they have exempted Jerusalem from a limited moratorium on constructing or building settlements. Palestinian authority figures believe Israeli building on the West Bank is illegal. The World Court has also said that the settlements are illegal.

The problem is really that Israel has declared that all of Jerusalem is their capital, no divisions, no question. Palestinians often view part of Jerusalem as the future capital of a possible Palestinian state.
This does throw a wrench in any kind of chance at resuming peace talks. Palestinian President Abbas has said that he will not return to the peace talk table without a complete halt to Israeli settlement building. Israel basically doesn’t care.

To be fair, 500,000 or so Israelis live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Also, over 2 and a half million Palestinians live there.

So- this is another chapter in the decade after decade of disrespect and territory claiming between the two.

I am disgusted with Israel and the U.S. on this one. The U.S. is showing no real diplomatic intensity in trying to make peace talks happen, let alone get Israel to stop building settlements. Israel shows that they have no interest in either striking a peace deal or in returning to the table under anyone’s terms but their own.

It appears we will all toast to 2010 with no change whatsoever in the Middle East.

Photo Credit: sdilullo (via Flickr under CCL)