US: Jewish breeding, building must end in Jerusalem too

[Israel Insider]

Jewish neighborhoods in east Jerusalem are included in the US demand that Israel halt "settlement" construction, including for natural growth, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told The Jerusalem Post during a press briefing on Monday. "We're talking about all settlement activity, yes, in the area across the line," he said, referring to neighborhoods in Jerusalem over the Green Line, or pre-1967 armistice line, in response to a question on where America's calls to halt construction in the settlements would be applied.

Special envoy to President Obama, George Mitchell, has indicated that birth statistics would be closely monitored as the basis for measuring compliance on the "natural growth" provision. He suggested that Jewish births in communities of Judea and Samaria would be consider violations of the Administration's edicts prohibiting "natural growth" of Jews there.

Kelly had no immediate reaction to the Ministry of Housing and Construction's inclusion in the draft 2009-10 state budget of funds for the capital's Jewish Har Homa neighborhood or for the nearby city of Ma'aleh Adumim, also beyond the "green line." The ministry has earmarked more than NIS 200 million ($50 million) for preparatory work and marketing of 1,210 apartments in Har Homa, on the city's southeast edge, next to Bethlehem.

There and elsewhere, Jews would not be allowed to be born even in a manger, Mitchell suggested. Even manger construction would be prohibited.

Israel has always insisted that it has a right to build anywhere in Jerusalem because the state incorporated that land into the municipality and under Israeli law it is not considered part of the West Bank. But the international community considers Jewish neighborhoods in east Jerusalem to be settlements and has condemned any new Jewish construction there. The US does not recognize any part of Jerusalem, east or west, as being part of Israel. Children born in the city are listed in US passports as being born in Jerusalem, not Israel.

The Netanyahu government had been working under the assumption that US officials' call to halt even natural growth in the settlements did not refer to neighborhoods in the city, according to high-placed government officials. Kelly's comments will further complicate negotiation with the Obama Administration. Obama has called "settlements" illegitimate and said that their expansion must stop, including natural growth. Now "settlements" apparently apply to substantial parts of Israel's capital.

[Mary Hale]

I've said it before..Tell Obaman and his Biden vice to go jump in the lake and take their administration with them..tell the Pales to stop having babies and live in Jordan..

[julius meller]

Obama ignores history
And realities on the
Ground that I'd part of

[Jimmy Root Jr]

Obama is proving himself clueless. I say, have as many children as you want, Israel. Then house them all. There are still more of us in the USA that pray for, and bless Israel than not. Stay strong!
Jimmy Root Jr
Author "Distant Thunder" Book One of the Lightning Chronicles Aug. 2009
www.lightningchronicles.com

[Tricia]

Yes, Lee. Those clowns think they're gods. Soon and very soon they're gonna find out differently. I was just reading this morning about an arrogant ruler who thought he was going to win, too. I would like to see the invisible chariots of fire that are about to take out Israel's arrogant enemies. I know that they're there. Just waiting for G-d's command.

[Tricia]

I'd help, too, Michael.

[Lee Underwood]

Yeah, Tricia, as I thought about it afterward it seems that David P's comment probably was tongue-in-cheek, as you said. In my zeal I just fired off a bit too quickly.

What the US fails to understand is that Israel is commanded to be fruitful and multiply by a Power much higher than the office of the president of the United States. (However, both Bush and Obama both seem to think that they were/are the ones who had/have to power to decided the borders of Israel.) As Bob Dylan once said, things should start to get interesting right about now.

[Michael S.]

I'd help in the move. Is it not funny how much the news cartoons have Jimmy and Osbama looking alike only they need both be snakeoflaged.

[Tricia]

You know, Lee, I said it partly in fun; but it's an idea that has merit. And it would make a statement to the grossly arrogant administration occupying the Oval Office. Who does O think he is anyway? But then, he missed the lesson on "a man ought no to think more highly of himself than he ought to think". He was probably in a mosque somewhere when that one was being taught.
As for David P., I'm 99.9% sure that statement was made entirely tongue-in-cheek. Those thievin' varmits who were given Transjordan are too crowded in their 99.9% of the Mideast. They have to have the other .1% to spread out.

[Lee Underwood]

The US is beginning to show its true colors. It looks a lot like the other Jew-hating nations. Setting birth limits? Israel is a sovereign nation and does not need to answer to the United States or any other nation. In fact, it does much better when it doesn't. Israel is not like China; they have been command to multiply and, not like many in the the Western world, children are seen as a blessing by most Jews.

Good suggestion, Tricia.

David P. - the Arabs DO have somewhere to go -- Transjordan. It's the land the UN gave them, using the same resolution that the world wants Israel to follow.

[Tricia]

I believe that the Israeli government should offer tax amnesty to Jewish families in Jerusalem and the Judean Hills who have a new baby each year. One new baby = no taxes that year. And move new immigrants into Jerusalem and the Judean Hills, offering them cash incentives for each new baby. That should tell Washington where to get off. Heck, we could get together and help the Israeli government finance such incentives.