Fisking and Destroying the EU and the U.N.

With all due respect to the EU and the U.N. Secretary General, in this post I will do my best to "destroy" you (don't fear, I'm speaking metaphorically, not literally).

JPost:

The European Union on Sunday criticized Israeli plans to construct a new neighborhood in east Jerusalem.

All right... Nothing new here...  Same old same old.  Israel builds on land they won in 1967 when multiple Arab countries tried to obliterate Israel, Israel gets condemned...

What gives the world the right to think they can tell Israel where to build on land they got in a defensive war, especially in their historic 3000 year old capital - and only under Jewish control has Jerusalem been open to all religions and people.

Great video - The Truth about the West Bank

“These initiatives run contrary to the current EU and Quartet efforts to bring about the resumption of peace negotiations,” EU Foreign Affairs chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement.

What exactly are your efforts?  Just politely asking for the past few decades for both sides to make peace with each other?  You don't think it will take a bit more than that?  And mind you, Israel has agreed to the Quartet initiative, while the PA hasn't. 

Maybe you should tell the PA, "We've got better things to do.  You want to refuse our offer? Go make your own peace.  Or call us when you're serious about this.  But we've got better things to do with our lives."

The Givat Hamatos project, which is located over the 1967 Green Line, will include 2,600 new housing units.

Correction - 1948 armistice lines.

OK, so let's accept this for a moment.  Then why did you condemn a neighborhood - not a settlement - which would remain part of Israel in any agreement, and which Erekat conceded to Livni and Rice in 2008?

Check out this post and this post for more info.

On Friday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned Israeli plans to build more than 2,600 apartments in the new Jerusalem neighborhood of Givat Hamatos, over the 1967 Green Line as "unacceptable."

Once again, nothing new here.

"The Secretary-General is deeply concerned at continued efforts to advance planning for new Israeli settlements in occupied East Jerusalem," Ban's press office said in a statement.

And Israelis are deeply concerned over the release of 1000 terrorists.  Either way, 2600 apartments is only a few buildings, as each apartment building has many apartments.  That's about 1 or 2 blocks? Really? Condemnation?

"Recent developments in this regard have been unacceptable, particularly as efforts are ongoing to resume (Israeli-Palestinian) negotiations, and run contrary to the Quartet's call on the parties to refrain from provocations," it said.

Again, what efforts? The Quartet put forth a proposal which Israel accepted.  The PA has not.

Settlement construction is nothing new.  And in Jerusalem, there should be no question about it - it's the capital of Israel, and the ancient, historic, religious capital of the Jews.

"The Secretary-General reiterates that settlement activity in East Jerusalem and the remainder of the West Bank is contrary to international law," the UN statement said, adding such activity "must cease."

International law also allowed for Durban I, Durban II, and Durban III to take place.  The latter took place despite boycotts by almost every democratic country.

International law can say that the Earth was round until the Zionists flattened it... Doesn't make it right.

The Palestinian Authority on Friday also slammed the decision to build more housing units.

Oh... I thought they would rejoice in jubilation...

"Israel's plan to build 2,610 housing units ... between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, makes a mockery of ... efforts to bring about a just and lasting peace," Chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat said in a statement.

You know what's really contrary to peace? Your intransigence. Your refusal to accept anything less. Your refusal to give up anything. Your refusal to recognize Israel. Your refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist. Your refusal to recognize Israel's right to self-defense.  Your refusal to accept the Quartet peace proposal.  Your refusal for direct negotiations.

However, the project’s approval in September did not raise any red flags since the land for the project has many different owners, including the Spanish government and the Latin Patriarch, said Margalit. Determining and reorganizing the ownership for building purposes is a complicated legal process called “reparcelization” that can take years, leading activists and politicians to focus their energies elsewhere.

The reparcelization plan was deposited for public review on Tuesday, which began a 60-day period for review during which the public can file oppositions to the project. With the deposit, the project is close to the end of the complicated approval process, and construction could begin as early as a year and a half from now.

Nothing's final yet.  If the PA doesn't like this plan, then I suggest they sit down at the negotiating table with Israel and strike a deal.  As the article says - it'd take abouta year and a half for the construction to begin.  That's ample time for a peace deal - or at least the beginnings of it.  In that deal, the fate of this settlement would be decided by both parties.

What'cha waiting for Abbas?

Read the full article here.