Israel Update
Posted on: March 16, 2010

By Moshe Ronen, Chair, Canada-Israel Committee

I would like to provide some insights into the recent developments in Israel-US relations.  It is important to flag some key points for understanding the current situation.

Last week, during the visit to Jerusalem of US Vice President Biden, Israel’s interior ministry announced the approval of 1600 new housing units of the city’s Ramat Shlomo neighbourhood.  The timing of the announcement was an obvious error.  Prime Minister Netanyahu has been forthright and unequivocal in apologizing to Vice President Biden for the inappropriate circumstances surrounding the announcement.

The American reaction has been inappropriately harsh, given that the substance of the announcement did not violate the US-Israel understanding on settlement building. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s formulation of a 10-month settlement freeze in the West Bank, which excludes the Jerusalem municipality, was endorsed by the American administration and hailed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as an “unprecedented” step. The Ramat Shlomo neighbourhood straddles the Green Line and reflects the Israeli consensus that Jerusalem is a united city; it is not a settlement in the middle of the West Bank.

It is particularly distressing that a disagreement of this nature would distract the United States from confronting the urgent threat of Iranian nuclear proliferation. The harsh tone of the American reaction undermines Israel’s security and emboldens its enemies, leading them to believe that the strategic relationship between Israel and the US is significantly weakened.

Further, the intense focus on Israel ignores completely the Palestinian Authority’s glorification of terrorists (naming a square after a terrorist responsible for killing 37 civilians in a single operation) and incitement to violence,  particularly as it relates to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Putting all the onus on Israel is counterproductive and only serves to encourage these actions. In the coming days, as diplomatic tempers calm, there is hope that all parties, Israel, the Palestinians, and the United States as mediator, will rededicate themselves to a process leading to meaningful resolution of the conflict.

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For further information and analysis please click here to read the Ha’aretz Middle East Security Survey, and here to read a more detailed report by Robert Satloff from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.