Last week we picked up Haaretz reports of a "secret deal" between Netanyahu and Lieberman to continue construction of a colony east of Jerusalem, known as E-1, that would all but bisect the West Bank. The Times of London has picked up the same story, showing how the expansion of Ma'aleh Adnumim would cut the putative Arab capital, East Jerusalem, off from the West Bank and pretty much do in any prayer for the two-state solution. And other political consequences:
Critics said that building a combined Jewish settlement and national park in
the hills of E1 would cut the West Bank in two. And blocking mainly Arab East
Jerusalem from the West Bank it would make it impossible for the Palestinians to
have that side of the disputed city as their capital.
Khalil Shikiaki, a leading Palestinian political analyst, said: .“Failure to
respond in an effective manner could lead to the collapse of the nationalist
camp [the Fatah-led branch of Palestinian politics] My guess is, confronted with
this development, the nationalist camp would probably support violence. Given
the current tends I think of this as a potential trigger to major clashes.”
That view was backed by a senior Western diplomat, who feared that developing
E1, which the Bush Administration urged against, may encourage Hamas to try to
take over the West Bank.
Any idea when the American press is going to catch up with this nullification of our policy?
