An OK piece in Washington Post on confiscation of Palestinian land to build Modiin Illit settlement. The piece actually mentions Bassem Abu Rahman, killed at the Bi'lin demonstration in April, and ends on a note of Israeli intransigence–the new paradigm. Includes this tapdancing:
"The goal is to find common ground with the Americans," said Netanyahu
spokesman Mark Regev. "Israel is willing to be creative and flexible."
Palestinian officials said Monday that they will not restart peace talks with Israel until a full settlement freeze is declared.
Maybe Obama will have to force Netanyahu out of office before anything can happen?
More likely Obama will be skillfully compromised, made aware of what he needs to do to assure a second term–no president has been immune except Ike, so that's the probability–first term or second, the pattern's the same. Let's see how courageous Obama really is–as a (half) black man, he actually has more underdog support than any white president of the USA has had since the founding of the state of Israel. It's all a question of how will Obama use his tremendous political capital? So far, e.g., regarding all other issues, Obama is definitely not for real change as his hand in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and our monetary and banking system has revealed. Just nip and tuck around the edges. Lawyers' profit.
The US press continues to deceive the public in saying that key elements of Congress are behind Obama when nothing of the sort is true as the letters from 76 senators and 300 house members to Obama, as well as a later, personal one from Sen.Harry Reid, calling for Obama not to pressure Israel and Netanyahu plainly attest. While Obama may be indeed trying to replicate George Bush Sr.'s experience in bringing down the Shamir government by denying Israel $10 billion in loan guarantees (only to cave in to Rabin as the 92 elections neared), the current Israeli public appears to be very different from 17 years ago and less concerned with its relations to the US while at the top, Netanyahu is relying on Israel's fifth column in Congress and the media to bring Obama to his knees.