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Obama and Israel, Year Two

Fifty Third Week in Office

Getting the Israelis and Palestinians to agree to negotiate, or even to agree to the framework in which negotiations will take place, "is just really hard," US President Barack Obama said in an interview with Time magazine published Thursday, as the president was completing his first year in office

United States envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell arrived in the region this week in efforts to further press the Jewish state into relinquishing territory to the American-backed Palestinian Authority. According to PA sources quoted by the London-based Arabic newspaper al-Hayat, Mitchell is unveiling a five-point plan that will force local parties back to the negotiating table and press Israel to retreat back to the Armistice Line that existed between the Jewish state and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan between the years 1949 and 1967.

Chevron activists Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben-Givir, who also serve as parliamentary aides to MK (Ichud HaLeumi) Dr. Michael Ben-Ari, have sent a letter to White House Chief of Staff Rom Emanuel suggesting he celebrate his son’s bar mitzvah elsewhere, not at the Kosel as reports indicate he plans to do.

Following his early morning meeting with US envoy George Mitchell, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Sunday that during their discussions, "new and interesting ideas" were raised for the resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians.

Same day as meeting with US envoy Mitchell, Netanyahu speech: The settlements blocs of Ariel, Ma'aleh Adumim and Gush Etzion are an indisputable part of Israel

Fifty Fourth Week in Office

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's coalition partners are preventing him from going as far as he would like to in peace talks with the Palestinian Authority, US President Barack Obama said Thursday.  Obama was speaking at a town hall meeting in Tampa, Florida. Answering a question on the subject, he explained to the audience that the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority are both being held back by more extremist elements in their nations.

The U.S. is concerned that the continued flow of arms to the Hezbollah militant organization could prompt a war between Israel and Lebanon, State Department official Jeff Feltman said in remarks published Sunday by the London-based Al-Hayat daily.

The Obama administration is delaying an upgrade project for Israel's military on the grounds that it could be deployed against Palestinian militants.  The sources said the delay of the Apache project stemmed from the White House's concern that Israel was rebuilding its military for another war. Sources said that Obama was dismayed by the widespread use of the Apache and other U.S. platforms during the January 2009 war with the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip.

Fifty Fifth Week in Office

The United States Treasury has taken all but one member of Hamas off the international list of terrorists, thus enabling funds from the European Union to enter Hamas-controlled Gaza

The United States Treasury has taken all but one member of Hamas off the international list of terrorists, thus enabling funds from the European Union to enter Hamas-controlled Gaza. United States will to Donate $40 Million to UNRWA

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said he is unhappy about the change in American policy toward settlement construction.
In an interview published Sunday by Der Spiegel, Abbas told the German magazine he would not change his position and would not agree to resuming negotiations unless Israel completely halts construction in West Bank settlements and recognizes the 1967 borders. PA president: Obama should use his power to pressure Israel on settlements.

Fifty Sixth Week in Office

The United States expressed readiness to provide Lebanon by 2013 with aircraft designed for light attack, the local daily As Safir reported Friday.

Rashad Hussein, White House official and President Obama’s newly appointed Special Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Conference, has a history of participation in events connected with the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood as well as support for Brotherhood causes, once having called prosecution of the U.S. leader of a Palestinian terrorist organization one of many “politically motivated persecutions.”

President Obama’s newly appointed envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Rashad Hussain, was quoted in 2004 as saying an American who aided a Palestinian terrorist group was the victim of “politically motivated persecutions” who was being used “to squash dissent.”

Fifty Seventh Week in Office

Reversing yet another policy of former President George W. Bush, current U.S. President Barack Obama announced this week that he would nominate career diplomat Robert Ford to become Washington's first ambassador to Syria since 2005

The U.S. should encourage greater assimilation of the Hezbollah terrorist organization into the Lebanese government, argued President Obama's counter-terrorism advisor, John Brennan.

A radical Muslim group, the Islamic Society of North America, or ISNA.- that was an unindicted co-conspirator in a scheme to raise money for Hamas has an extensive relationship with the Obama has ties to Obama.  ISNA President Ingrid Mattson represented American Muslims at Obama's inauguration, where she offered a prayer during the televised event. Mattson also represented ISNA at Obama's Ramadan dinner at the White House. Last June, Obama's top aide, Valerie Jarrett, invited Mattson to work on the White House Council on Women and Girls, which Jarrett leads. In July, the Justice Dept. sponsored an information booth at an ISNA bazaar in Washington, D.C.

The Obama administration criticized Israel for designating two shrines on Palestinian territory as Israeli national heritage sites. ...US displeasure with the designations of the Cave of the Patriarchs in the flash point town of Hebron and the traditional tomb of the biblical matriarch Rachel in Bethlehem had been conveyed to senior Israeli officials by American diplomats.

Fifty Eighth Week in Office

An Arab political source said Friday that special U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell has requested to resign due to his frustration with the way the Obama administration has been handling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to a Nazareth-based daily. Hadith a-Nass reported that Mitchell's request stemmed partly from to his own failure to advance the resumption of peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians and also from his perception that certain elements within the State Department hold biased favor toward Israel.

US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton sent a message to Beirut that Washington cannot prevent an Israeli strike in Lebanon as long as arms smuggling to Hezbollah continues

The United States is concerned over the approval of a plan to build 600 new housing units in East Jerusalem, the State Department said on Monday, adding that both Israel and the Palestinians should refrain from unilateral actions which could undermine trust between the two parties.

U.S. Pressing Israel not to attack Iran

Senior Israeli diplomatic official: US Vice President Joe Biden is important, but no substitute for President Barack Obama, and a speech he is expected to give next week during his stay in Israel should not be considered compensation for Obama’s speech to the Arab world in Cairo last June

Fifty Ninth Week in Office

Secret Report: White House cozying up to Palistinian demands.  The U.S. administration will not put a lot of effort into the upcoming indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, opting instead to focus on the November Congressional elections, according to an internal Foreign Ministry report that was distributed to Israeli diplomatic missions abroad. The classified report claims that in the preparatory discussions for the Israeli-Palestinian proximity talks the Obama administration adopted positions that are closer to Palestinian demands.

Mitchell told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that the understandings reached following the 2007Annapolis Conference are non-binding in the current round of negotiations

Israel approves 112 new settler homes as Joe Biden arrives

The US has said Israel's authorisation of new building in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank does not violate a recently announced
moratorium.

US Vice President Joe Biden is Israel to reignite the peace process, but the Interior Ministry seems unmoved by the political statements made and on Tuesday approved the addition of 1,600 housing units in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo, which is located beyond the Green Line. The Ministry's District Committee for Planning and Construction approved the plan be submitted for public comment.

Vice President Joe Biden is condemning Israel's approval of 1,600 new settlement homes in disputed East Jerusalem and says the timing undermines the peace process the United States is attempting to revive.

US Vice President Joe Biden tried to put the furor over announcement of plans to build 1,600 units in Ramat Shlomo behind him, saying during a speech Thursday at Tel Aviv University that he condemned the move because as a friend he was compelled to "deliver the hardest truth," but adding that he appreciated the clarifications he received on the matter from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyhau.He opened the speech by stressing the importance of US-Israel friendship and Washington's commitment to the security of the  Jewish state, saying that "US President Barack Obama and myself know that the US has no better friend in the community of nations than Israel." Biden said that he realized that construction in east Jerusalem "is a very touchy subject in Israel," but because Israel's decision to advance the housing project, in his view, "undermined the trust required to conduct the negotiations, I – at the request of President Obama – condemned it immediately."

Officials said the administration of President Barack Obama has warned Israel that its exercises along the borders with Lebanon and Syria were escalating regional tension.  They said Israel has responded by canceling or reducing exercises meant to prepare for a war with Syria. "We are receiving daily phone calls from the Americans, who want to know details and schedules of exercises, what weapons will be used and in what scenarios," an official said.

What Biden told Netanyahu behind closed doors: "This is starting to get dangerous for us"

Fifty Sixtieth Week in Office

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden snubbed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last night by arriving 90 minutes late to a scheduled dinner. Biden's late arrival was in response to Israel announcing 1,600 new homes will be built in disputed east Jerusalem during his visit to the region.

Vice President Biden made clear that it was Obama who made the decision to "condemn" the Israeli government -- one of the harshest criticisms ever leveled against Israeli leaders by an American president.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a stinging rebuke to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahufor his government's announcement this week of new Jewish housing in East Jerusalem

Former Assistant Secretary of State Elliot Abrams places the blame squarely at the feet of the President for the poor state of US/Israel relations

Israel's relationship with the United States, a defining feature of the troubled Middle East, was under severe strain as diplomats scrambled on Saturday to save newborn U.S.-brokered peace talks with the Palestinians.

Clinton calls Israeli announcement "Insulting" to the United States

The Anti-Defamation League said it was shocked at the Obama administration's "public dressing down" of Israel over its decision during Vice President Joe Biden's weeklong visit to move forward with the construction of 1,600 housing units in East Jerusalem.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he thought his apology to Joe Biden over the ill-timed announcement of east Jerusalem construction was sufficient and believed the matter was closed.

Middle East envoy George Mitchell promised Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that the U.S. will bring a halt to Israeli building in East Jerusalem.

Instead of accepting Netanyahu's partial apology and letting bygones be bygones, Obama issued a stern warning to the Israeli prime minister and is now demanding that he take "specific actions" to show he is "committed" to the U.S.-Israel relationship and to the peace process itself.

The Palestinian Authority on Saturday hailed the rare US condemnation of Israel over the Jewish state's plan to build more settler homes in annexed east Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem District Planning and Building committee has canceled two meetings planned for this week, apparently out of concern that any more decisions on construction might result in further tensions with the United States

US Middle East envoy George Mitchell has promised the Palestinians that Israel will not construct new homes in east Jerusalem during peace negotiations, the London-based newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported Saturday

David Axelrod, US President Barack Obama's chief political adviser, said on Sunday that the Israeli decision to build in Jerusalem was both an "affront" and an "insult."

Obama administration monitors Jews on the Temple Mount in Israel

Netanyahu keeps strong position despite American pressure. Says 'cabinet's decision to end construction freeze after 10 months remains standing' Despite the unprecedented crisis with the White House following Israel's plan to build 1,600 new housing units in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to forge ahead with construction in Jerusalem "as we have since the Six Day War".

BBC: Relations between the U.S. and Israel the worst in 35 years

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday switched from apologies to the Obama administration for building for Jews in Jerusalem and went on the offense. Buoyed by virtually unanimous Cabinet support, he told Likud Knesset Members at a party meeting, “Building in Jerusalem and in all other places will continue in the same way that has been accepted in the last 42 years.”

The US State Dept said Monday it was waiting for a "formal" Israeli response to its concerns, declining comment on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks in support of settlements.

Republican lawmakers came out swinging Monday against President Barack Obama's hard line toward Israel over its controversial plans to expand a settlement in East Jerusalem.   The number three Republican in the House of Representatives deplored the Obama administration's stance on Israel as "irresponsible" a week after Israel gave the green light to build 1,600 new homes for Jewish settlers in the area the Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.

Israel remains a strategic ally of the  United States, the US State Dept.reaffirmed Monday amid a dispute over Israeli plans to build settler homes in east Jerusalem

The American Jewish Committee (AJC) today urged the Obama Administration to call a halt to its public denunciations of the Israeli government and return to the use of language befitting the close relations between Washington and Jerusalem

The Obama administration's fierce denunciation of Israel last week has ignited a firestorm in Congress and among powerful pro-Israel interest groups who say the criticism of America's top Mideast ally was misplaced.

Obama runs out of patience with Israel.  The US is now said to be demanding substantive concessions from Israel after a warning by the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that he would not take part in talks if the plan to expand the mainly ultra-orthodox Ramat Shlomo settlement went ahead.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday that Israel must prove it is committed to the Middle East peace process, but brushed aside suggestions that U.S.-Israeli relations are in crisis.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said that Israel would continue to build in Jerusalem in the same way that it has over the last 42 years. "The building in Jerusalem - and in all other places - will continue in the same way as has been customary over the last 42 years,"

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Tuesday that Israel had proven its commitment to peace before both in words and actions, after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Jerusalem to do more to prove it was serious about the Middle East process

The White House nor State Department had anything to say about the fact that the U.S.-financed Palestinian Authority, led by “moderate” Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, renamed a central public square in Ramallah on Thursday in honor of Dalal Mughrabi, the woman who in 1978 helped carry out the deadliest single terrorist attack in Israel’s history.

The United States has diverted a shipment of bunker-busters designated for Israel.    Officials said the U.S. military was ordered to divert a shipment of smart bunker-buster bombs from Israel to a military base in Diego Garcia. They said the shipment of 387 smart munitions had been slated to join pre-positioned U.S. military equipment in Israel Air Force bases. "This was a political decision," an official said. In 2008, the United States approved an Israeli request for bunker-busters capable of destroying underground facilities, including Iranian nuclear weapons sites. Officials said delivery of the weapons was held up by the administration of President Barack Obama.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has refused to buckle to US pressure to scrap a Jewish building project in East Jerusalem in a crucial telephone conversation with America's top diplomat

Friday, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who at President Barack Obama’s behest gave Netanyahu a 43 minute dressing-down over the phone last week,  told BBC that pressure against Israel paid off, and that Jerusalem will now be willing to compromise.

Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, will use a visit to Washington this week to press the US to release sophisticated bunker-busting bombs needed for a possible strike on Iran’s nuclear sites.

Rather than peace process, the new buzz phrase in Washington is "regime modification", as the Obama administration examines how it can force a rupture in the ruling right-wing coalition and put talks between the Israelis and Palestinians back on a real meaningful track.

Outsiders cannot force peace on the Middle East and any final settlement will have to be initiated by the Israelis and Palestinians themselves, Israel's Washington envoy said on Saturday.

Ahead of his trip to Washington Sunday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has bowed to U.S. demands and promised the Obama administration that Israel will make several goodwill gestures toward the Palestinian. For the first time since Operation Cast Lead, Israel has agreed to ease the blockade on the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu has also agreed to discuss all core issues during the proximity talks, with the condition of reaching final conclusions only in direct talks with the PA.

Sixty First Week in Office

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United States this week will include a demand that U.S. President Obama release previously-promised bunker-busting bombs, the Times of London reported Sunday.  The United States has diverted 387 bombs to an island in the Indian Ocean following the latest diplomatic clash between Israel and the United States over the proposed Ramat Shlomo hosing project in Jerusalem

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he would not restrict construction in east Jerusalem, a step requested by the U.S., but would upgrade upcoming indirect talks with the Palestinians to include the main issues dividing them

New Israeli construction on land claimed by the Palestinians threatens peace efforts and undermines America's ability to help end the Arab-Israeli conflict, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told a leading Jewish organization Monday.  In a speech to AIPAC, Clinton said that Israel's recent announcement of new housing in east Jerusalem exposed differences between the U.S. and the Jewish state that others could exploit. She defended the Obama administration's strong criticism of the move because she said it hurt attempts to launch indirect peace talks.

Netanyahu: "Jerusalem is not a settlement.

Obama Won’t Allow Any Photos of Him With PM Netanyahu

The White House is seeking "clarification" on Israel's plans to build 20 new apartments in east Jerusalem

Israel to U.S.: Latest East Jerusalem building okayed last year

Obama snubbed Netanyahu for dinner with Michelle and the girls, Israelis claim

Sixty Second Week in Office

Israel insisted on Friday it would not change its policy of building homes in East Jerusalem, keeping the Jewish state at odds with Washington on how to renew stalled peace talks with Palestinians.

More than 75 percent of Congressmen in the U.S.House of Representatives have signed a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressing support for Israel and demanding an end to the highly-publicized state of tensions with Israel.

Details of the "frosty" meeting between Obama and Netanyahu"- the Obama administration was clearly sending a message of extreme displeasure.  [Obama] immediately presented Mr. Netanyahu with a list of 13 demands designed both to the end the feud with his administration and to build Palestinian confidence ahead of the resumption of peace talks. Key among those demands was a previously-made call to halt all new settlement construction in east Jerusalem.  When the Israeli prime minister stalled, Mr Obama rose from his seat declaring: "I'm going to the residential wing to have dinner with Michelle and the girls."

A top aide of US President Barack Obama told CNN's State of the Union program on Sunday morning that Obama did not snub Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu when the two met in the White House last week.

During U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s first year in office, some of the heftiest contributions to her husband’s charitable foundation came from royal families of Arab nations. The list of those who donated to the William J. Clinton Foundation in 2009 was released to the media last week.

Obama accused of waging diplomatic war to topple Netanyahu

U.S. President Barack Obama's demands during his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last Tuesday point to an intention to impose a permanent settlement on Israel and the Palestinians in less than two years, political sources in Jerusalem say.

No anti-Israel resolution on east Jerusalem was in the works at the UN Security Council, senior officials in Washington were quoted Tuesday as saying, amid reports that the US would not veto such a resolution if it were brought to the UN body.

Israel cannot be found on the US State Dept. Website.  The following message appears when looking for Israel: "We’re sorry. That page can’t be found and may have moved" (In bold red letters)

Obama wants Israel to freeze construction in East Jerusalem for four months in exchange for an attempt to renew stalled Israeli peace talks with Palestinians, an Israeli newspaper said on Wednesday.

Obama has refused every Military request from Israel since taking office

The administration of United States President Barack Obama has encouraged "resistance" by Arabs to protest Israel's presence in eastern Jerusalem, according to a senior Palestinian Authority official cited by WorldNetDaily on Thursday

Sixty Second Week in Office

Several high-profile former U.S. officials, some with close ties to the Obama administration, met with leaders of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in recent months, raising hope inside the group that its views are being heard at the White House.

Sixty Third Week in Office

US Refuses Visas to all Israeli Nuclear Scientists; the Israeli government was stunned when every nuclear technician at Israel's Dimona reactor who had submitted visa requests to visit the United States for ongoing university education in Physics, Chemistry and Nuclear Engineering had their visa applications summarily rejected, specifically because of their association with the Dimona reactor.

Netanyahu pulls out of Obama’s nuclear summit

In an unprecedented move, the U.S. has been conducting negotiations with Israel on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, according to a senior PA negotiator and sources in the Israeli government.

The Obama administration in recent weeks has stepped up its monitoring of Jewish construction projects in eastern Jerusalem and is protesting to the highest levels of the Israeli government even small building or improvement projects, WND has learned

Obama fighting Israel's Nuclear program

US President Barack Obama's national security adviser says that Israel will still have a "robust" delegation at a nuclear security summit in Washington next week, even after Israel's prime minister abruptly decided not to attend.

Sixty Fourth Week in Office

White House says visas for Israeli scientists not denied, but never mention the name of Israeli reactor site; Dimona

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government said it would reject any moves by the Obama administration to set its own timeline and benchmarks for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, potentially establishing a new fault line between the U.S. and Israel.

Obama has told French President Nicolas Sarkozy that he is determined to keep the pressure on Israel and the Palestinians to renew peace talks and implement confidence-building measures. Obama made his comments despite potential political damage at home ahead of the mid-term congressional elections in November

Obama administration says support of Israel to be 'balanced against other interests

World Jewish Congress Calls Out Obama- “Appeasement Does Not Work!” -Full Page Ad

On Tuesday, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, pro-Israel lobbying group, publicized letters to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, signed by 76 senators and 333 House members, that implored the administration to defuse tensions.

Letter by AIPAC to Hillary Clinton, link to signatories

Sixty Fifth Week in Office

Clinton: The U.S. won't impose peace deal on Israel

Speaking at a dinner attended by the ambassadors of Israel and several Arab states, Mrs Clinton urged Israel to "refrain from unilateral statements and actions" that could undermine peace.

A new Jewish organization has been started in the United States – openly supportive of Sarah Palin, but its bottom-line goal appears to be opposition to President Barack Obama and his tilt against Israel.

In a veiled warning to President Barack Obama, Israel's foreign minister said on Tuesday that any move to impose a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians would lead to greater conflict

United States administration officials have voiced harsh criticism over advertisements in favor of Israel's position on Jerusalem that appeared in the U.S. press with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's encouragement

State Dept.: U.S. unsure whether Syria sent missiles to Hezbollah

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said in an interview on Monday that the time has not come yet for a new U.S. Mideast peace proposal.

U.S. officials slam pro-Israeli ads in American media

US Won’t Promise Won’t Shoot Down Israeli Planes

Israeli Officials Weigh Option of Attacking Iran Without U.S. Consent

The Obama administration is pushing Israel to hand the Palestinian Authority full control of a major neighborhood in Jerusalem as a so-called confidence-building gesture to jumpstart Israeli-PA negotiations

The Obama administration pledged to the Palestinian Authority it will secure an extension of a freeze on Jewish construction in the West Bank and a de facto freeze in eastern Jerusalem, a top PA leader told WND

Israel's prime minister on Thursday rejected U.S. calls to halt construction in disputed east Jerusalem

In an interview with Channel 2 television news (Israeli TV), Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that there will not be a construction freeze in Jerusalem, and that there is “a full understanding that there must not be preconditions for negotiations.

Sixty Fifth Week in Office

The White House is engaged in an aggressive effort to reassure Jewish leaders that the tense relationship between the Obama administration and the Israeli government that has played out in public in the last few months does not signify any fundamental change in U.S. policy.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has been invited to Washington in May for talks with US President Barack Obama, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat said on Sunday.

VIDEO: Obama’s National Security Advisor Tells Joke Depicting Jews as Greedy Merchants

Jews gather outside the Israeli Consulate Sunday to protest President Obama's position towards Israel.

National Security Adviser James Jones apologized Monday for telling a joke last week that depicted a member of the Taliban getting tricked by a Jewish merchant looking to make a sale. 

U.S. President Barack Obama held an impromptu meeting with Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Monday, during which Obama affirmed his country's "unshakeable commitment to Israel's security."

The Netanyahu government has allowed a de facto building freeze on new homes in parts of Jerusalem in order to placate President Obama.

The Anti-Defamation League’s National Director Abe Foxman: US shift in Israel policy "deeply distressing"

Sixty Sixth Week in Office

The administration of President Barack Obama has launched what officials termed a psychological warfare campaign meant to topple Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Two recent rounds of US/Israeli talks about the sale of Lockheed Martin F-35s to the Israeli air force have ended with the same gap that has so far prevented the signature of a letter of agreement.

Obama has vowed to take action against Israel or the Palestinians if either undermines indirect peace talks, a senior Palestinian official said on Thursday

US gives Abbas private assurances over Israeli settlements

Clinton Warns Iran, Syria on U.S. Commitment to Israel

Sixty Seventh Week in Office

Secretary Clinton to AJC Gala: 'Israel's Security is a Personal Commitment'

Obama has told several European leaders that if Israeli-Palestinian talks remain stalemated into September or October, he will convene an international summit on achieving Mideast peace, senior Israeli officials told Haaretz on Thursday.

United States officials who spoke to the pan-Arab paper Al-Sharq il-Awsat denied Thursday that America would stop using its United Nations veto to help Israel. The New York Times had reported that US President Barack Obama warned that America would no longer veto anti-Israel resolutions in the UN Security Council.

Obama has warned Israel he will pave the way for an independent Palestinian state if the peace process remains deadlocked until the autumn (UK Telegraph)

Obama made clear in a recent letter to the Palestinians that he views Israel as the obstacle to peace and will approach further peace efforts from that point of view, according to senior Palestinian Authority officials. -Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat confirmed for the Bethlehem-based Ma'an news agency that such a letter was sent, and that in it Obama "clarified the US stance on the peace process and Israel's intransigence on the issue of settlements.

The White House, in the midst of an intense charm offensive aimed at the Jewish and pro-Israel communities, has dropped an archaic phrase that has, in the past, rankled Jewish groups. The use of the proclamation boilerplate "in the year of our Lord" for a celebration of Jewish Heritage Month had struck a slightly off-key note for Jewish groups in Obama's last proclamation, as in those of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.  This year, the phrase has been replaced by the simple phrase, "in the year two thousand ten.”

The White House is engaged in an aggressive effort to reassure Jewish leaders that the tense relationship between the Obama administration and the Israeli government that has played out in public in the past few months does not signify any fundamental change in U.S. policy

Obama, Elie Wiesel share 'good kosher lunch

Following a private lunch with President Obama, Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel said he believes tensions are gone between the United States and Israel.

Obama is working closely with Russia and Egypt on an effort to rid Israel of its supposed nuclear weapons arsenal, according to several mainstream media reports this week. Most prominently, the Wall Street Journal reported that Obama is keen to adopt an Egyptian proposal to declare the Middle East a nuclear-free zone. A follow-up regional conference would put heavy pressure on all nations to comply

Sixty Seventh Week in Office

The US has assured the Palestinians there will be no “acts of provocation” by any party during the indirect talks between the PA and Israel next week, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday....The PA understood that acts of “provocation” include settlement construction by Israel and incitement by the Palestinians- Abbas’s comments were published on a day when US envoy George Mitchell met for the second time in 24-hours with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. The talks are taking place amid an almost total news blackout, with neither side releasing any information about the discussions.

Sixty Eighth Week in Office

Israel has agreed to freeze construction in east Jerusalem's Ramat Shlomo for two years, the US  State Department said Sunday, following the completion of the first round of indirect Middle East peace talks.

The Obama administration has “screwed up the messaging” about its support for Israel over the past 14 months, and it will take “more than one month to make up for 14 months,” White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said on Thursday to a group of rabbis called together for a meeting in the White House.

Obama to Abbas: I am committed to creation of Palestinian state

US President Barack Obama urged the Palestinians to move to direct negotiations as soon as possible in a phone call with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday.  Obama said that the two sides need to “negotiate seriously and in good faith” and stressed his intention "to hold both sides accountable for actions that undermine trust during the talks,” according to a statement put out by the White House following the call.

Netanyahu: We will never divide Jerusalem During a speech marking Jerusalem Day, the prime minister said that Israel will continue to build and develop in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu turns to Bible in tussle over Jerusalem

Obama’s is the first administration to state explicitly that the Jewish presence in the parts of the city that the Jordanian occupiers vacated in 1967 is illegal and to actively oppose the building of Jewish housing even in existing Jewish neighborhoods in the city.

The Ministry of Planning of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) announced on Wednesday that the United States will provide the PNA 500 million U.S. dollars as a support for the year 2010.

Obama will have the US to join a UN advisory group with anti-Israel past: Alliance of Civilizations.  The Obama administration is preparing to join an international advisory group that the United States generally has shunned due to fears it would adopt anti-Israeli and anti-Western positions

Sixty Ninth Week in Office

As part of the continuing White House effort to assuage the American Jewish community of its pro-Israel credentials, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel met with a group of 15 rabbis from across the country

E. Jerusalem: Demolition orders for illegally constructed Arab homes in east Jerusalem are highly unlikely to go ahead in the near future, it emerged on Thursday, despite a recent announcement to the contrary by Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch. The U-turn came after the US State Department sought clarifications over comments by Aharonovitch, who said on Wednesday that “police have no instructions to refrain from carrying out the demolitions.

US Sends Israel Smart Bombs To Match Syrian Missiles For Hizballah

Interior Minister: Israel will never freeze construction in Jerusalem

White House Reports Two-Year Building Freeze in Ramat Shlomo

The Obama administration is looking for ways to build up "moderate elements" within the Lebanese Hezbollah guerrilla movement and to diminish the influence of hard-liners, a top White House official said on Tuesday.

Seventieth Week in Office

Palestinian negotiators have surprised Washington with a bold opening offer to White House peace envoy George Mitchell that includes concessions on territory beyond those offered in past Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, according to officials briefed on the current negotiations.

US envoy George Mitchell left Israel on Thursday afternoon, ending the second round of proximity talks, with each side claiming their contacts with the American mediator focused on something completely different.

Fatah does not rule out the possibility of resuming an ''armed struggle'' against Israel if the US-sponsored proximity talks fail

Obama Advisor: Warm Words for Saudi Arabia, Hizbullah- John Brennan, Deputy National Security Adviser for Homeland Security, called Jerusalem “Al-Quds,” praised Saudi Arabian religious tolerance, and is encouraging of Hizbullah. Speaking to an apparently Muslim audience at New York University in February, at a forum co-hosted by the White House and the Islamic Center at New York University." Brennan first told a story in Arabic, evoking laughter and concluding with, “Don’t tell the folks who don’t speak Arabic what I said.” He then said that his favorite city in the Middle East is “Al Quds, Jerusalem.”

John Brennan, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, met with Lebanese leaders during a recent visit. "Hezbollah is a very interesting organization," Brennan told a Washington conference

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and his family dined on seafood at an Eilat restaurant and left the bill for the Israeli Tourism Ministry, according to reports in Israeli media.

IDF Prepares for Potential Attack from US-Trained PA Military- The Kfir brigade, created December 2005 to deal with unrest in Israel’s Judea and Samaria regions, trained extensively in urban warfare and simulated a scenario in which IDF soldiers were pitted against the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority’s new American-trained military.

Rahm Emanuel invites Netanyahu to visit Obama.  Will allow an photo-op this time

Axelrod Says No Proof Sestak Received Illegal Job Offer

Seventy First Week in Office

Obama US stopped Israel from targeting Hizballah missile shipment

U.S. Trying to Deport Born-Again 'Son of Hamas' as Terrorist: The Department of Homeland Security is trying to deport the son of a Hamas founder who told of his conversion to Christianity and decade of spying for Israel in a New York Times best-seller. "Son of Hamas" author Mosab Hassan Yousef revealed on a blog hosted by his publisher he is scheduled to appear June 30 before Immigration Judge Rico J. Bartolomei at the DHS Immigration Court in San Diego. Yousef said the DHS informed him Feb. 23, 2009, he was barred from asylum in the U.S. because there were reasonable grounds for believing he was "a danger to the security of the United States" and "engaged in terrorist activity."

Netanyahu to ask Obama to block measures over Israel's nukesThe Israeli prime minister will meet with the U.S. president at the White House on Tuesday, after the U.S. backed a call for inspection of Israeli nuclear installations at the NPT Review Conference. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will ask for clarifications about the U.S. position on the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference when he meets with Obama at the White House on Tuesday.

Jerusalem Restricts Emanuel Bar Mitzvah Party; White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel’s son Zach will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah Sunday at the Davidson Center near the Western Wall but without catering or music.

Obama's Charm Offensive Masks Israel Policy Change: as Jewish leaders were meeting in the White House, the president's diplomatic team was busy in New York cutting a nuclear deal at the UN with Egypt and other Arab states that stabs Israel in the back. With U.S. support and endorsement, representatives of 189 nations adopted a nuclear non-proliferation declaration that calls for expedited action on a nuclear-free Mideast zone, with an international conference in 2012 to get this project moving to fruition.   But even before 2012, the declaration already calls on Israel to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and invite UN inspectors' full access to lay bare its nuclear activities.

Washington's unprecedented backing for a UN resolution for a nuclear-free Middle East that singles out Israel has both angered and deeply worried the Jewish state although officials are cagey about openly criticising their biggest ally

Hamas leader says American envoys making contact, but not openly

Netanyahu is canceling a scheduled meeting with Obama at the White House to return to Israel to deal with the fallout of the raid by Israeli forces to enforce the Gaza blockade on a flotilla of ships trying to run the blockade

Netanyahu, who is currently visiting Canada, stressed Monday that IDF troops were forced to use force against Gaza sail activists after they refused to cooperate and attacked the soldiers.

The White House on Monday said it "deeply regretted, and is currently working to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragedy," said White House spokesman William Burton.

Obama’s close family friends, terrorists Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn, and top campaign bundler Jodie Evans from Code Pink are top activists with the Gaza flotilla group that attacked the IDF today.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been privately asking foreign leaders to "dial down" criticism of Israel until all the facts of the flotilla attack are known

VIDEO: Sec. Hillary Clinton condemns the Israeli flotilla raid.

Hillary condemned the Israeli flotilla raid, but not the White House: The White House and lawmakers on Tuesday refrained from condemning a deadly Israeli attack on Gaza-bound ships carrying humanitarian aid.

The Obama administration appears to be rebuffing calls from some Jewish groups for the United States to be more assertive and public in defending Israel regarding the flotilla incident.

Vice President Joe Biden defended Israel's handling of the raid on a Gaza aid flotilla, departing from the Obama administration's posture of wait and see. Biden said Israel has an "absolute right" to defend its security interest

Obama offered Netanyahu guarantees that the U.S. would not let any decision made during the recent NPT review conference 'harm Israel's vital interests.'

An Israeli government official said the White House asked Netanyahu for concessions in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in exchange for U.S. opposition to the establishment of a United Nations commission to investigate Israel's commando raid of a flotilla earlier this week that resulted in the deaths of nine violent activists.

The Obama administration considers Israel’s blockade of Gaza to be untenable and plans to press for another approach to ensure Israel’s security while allowing more supplies into the impoverished Palestinian area, senior American officials said Wednesday.- describes flotilla defensive measures as a "deadly attack"

US to probe American death in Israeli raid- "We will look into the circumstances of the death of an American citizen, as we would do anywhere in the world at all times," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters. Crowley declined to specify who is "evaluating the facts" surrounding the death of the dual US-Turkish national, whom he identified as Furkan Dogan, a 19-year-old born in Troy, New York.

Obama is calling the deadly Israeli raid on an aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip "tragic" and says the loss of life that resulted was unnecessary. Obama stopped short of condemning the actions of Israeli forces, saying that the U.S. wants to wait for an investigation.

VIDEO: Obama advisor Brennan refers to Jerusalem as "Al Quds"

Seventy Second Week in Office

The White House is encouraging an Irish aid ship bound for the blockaded Gaza Strip to avoid a possible repeat confrontation with Israel and instead sail to the Israeli port of Ashdod to deliver its supplies.

The White House said on Friday Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip was unsustainable and urged a Gaza aid vessel sent by pro-Palestinian activists to divert to an Israeli port to reduce the risk of violence.

The United States continues to supply weapons and other security systems to Lebanon's security forces amid rising tensions with Israel

VIDEO: Helen Thomas Mocks Gibbs Over White House's Lack Of Condemnation Of Israel's Act Of War

VIDEO: White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs today called anti-Jewish remarks by Helen Thomas “reprehensible”

Controversial remarks about Israel by veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas drew sharp criticism from the Obama administration on Monday

The United States has asked Israel to investigate an incident in which an American woman lost an eye after being shot by Israeli forces with a tear gas canister during a pro-Palestinian protest in Jerusalem

Obama-Hamas connection?

In less than a week, the Obama administration left Israel hanging out to dry three separate times: UN Security Council, the administration succumbed to the rush to criticize Israel in a statement, at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva it failed to sway opinion, and at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference, the United States joined the consensus on a statement condemning Israel

The Netanyahu government’s attitude to the United States shows it is “waiting for President [Sarah] Palin, an Obama official reportedly told Peter Beinart, writing for the Atlantic Monthly news site.

Under Obama, the United States no longer provides Israel with automatic support at the United Nations where the Jewish state faces a constant barrage of criticism and condemnation

Obama has updated America's official vision of Israel's future to stress that the Jewish state must ensure equal rights for Israeli Arabs

White House rejected Israeli intel, blocked use of anti-riot gear against flotilla: Diplomatic sources said the White House rejected Israeli intelligence assessments that the six-ship flotilla contained weapons and Islamist fighters trained to resist any boarding operation.

Seventy Third Week in Office

Obama Administration to Support Anti-Israel Resolution at UN Next Week

US officials on Friday denied reports that the Obama administration plans to support the establishment of an international UN-monitored commission to investigate last week's flotilla raid.

Was the White House involved in the Israeli Flotilla incident?  Speculation grows of White House involvement to create an event to force Israel to capitulate to Obama concessions.  Implications of a conspiracy.

Seventy Fourth Week in Office

The White House welcomed Israel's new rules for its land embargo, which has drawn heightened international criticism since a deadly raid on an aid flotilla bound for the Hamas-run Palestinian territory. "We believe that the implementation of the policy announced by the government of Israel today should improve life for the people of Gaza," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

Another crisis between the Netanyahu and Obama administrations looms over housing in Jerusalem, this time because of Jerusalem’s plan to wreck 22 illegally built Arab homes to make way for an archaeological park. The Jerusalem municipality proposal also calls for making legal 66 other Arab buildings built without permits.The U.S. State Department said Monday afternoon it is “concerned” over the plan that “we think undermines the trust that is fundamental in making progress to the proximity talks and ultimately in direct negotiations.”

There are profound differences between the Obama administration and Israel when it comes to the perception of the threat posed by a nuclear-armed Iran

Seventy Fifth Week in Office

Rashad Hussain, Obama’s special envoy to the Organization for the Islamic Conference (OIC), the Saudi-based body formed in 1969 to “protect” Jerusalem from the Israelis, announced a new title this week for Obama. According to Hussain, Obama is America’s “Educator-in-Chief on Islam.”

Israel's ambassador to Washington, Michael Oren, painted a dark picture of U.S.-Israeli relations during a briefing at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem last week. Israeli diplomats say Oren described the current situation as a "tectonic rift" in which Israel and the United States are like continents drifting apart.

The Obama administration is still not saying what it will do if and when the U.N. calls for another international investigation into the Gaza flotilla incident.

A senior Hamas figure said Friday that official and unofficial US sources have asked the Islamist group to refrain from making any statements regarding contacts with Washington, this following reports that a senior American official is due to arrive in an Arab country in the coming days to relay a telegram from the Obama Administration.

Israel is trying to prevent a big defense contract between the United States and Saudi Arabia from going through.   The deal includes the purchase of scores of new F-15 fighter jets and the upgrading of the 150 F-15s already in the Saudi air force. Israel expressed a number of reservations to the Americans over the past month, and the issue is expected to come up in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meetings in Washington on Tuesday. Defense Minister Ehud Barak raised the deal in meetings with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and National Security Advisor General Jim Jones two weeks ago in Washington. Israel also made its reservations clear at a meeting in Tel Aviv between top Israeli defense officials and a delegation led by U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy.

An Obama-linked public relations firm has taken on a new job: Making Israel look bad on behalf of Qatar.  Fenton Communications is working with Qatar on the Al Fakhoora project – an Internet campaign dedicated to breaking Israel's blockade of Hamas in Gaza.

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is relying on former U.S. President Bill Clinton’s initiative as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu flies to Washington. White House officials refuse to comment on former President George W. Bush’s written promises to Israel.

The Bush letter to Israel, no confirmation by the Obama administration on its definitions of borders

Obama has approved military sales to three Arab League states in advance of his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman announced that the settlement freeze will not continue

Senior White House officials say there is "absolutely no rift" between the United States and Israel as President Barack Obama prepares to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday

Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu worked Tuesday to dispel rumors of a U.S./Israeli rift.

White House Meeting Over, Obama Avoids Question on Freeze

Photo: Netanyahu goes through the White House back door again.  Greeted by staffer.

VIDEO: Obama Bristles at Reporter’s Question on if His “Distancing from Israel” was a Mistake

Obama backs down from his position: tells Binyamin Netanyahu that the United States will not encourage a Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) conference unless all countries "feel confident that they can attend” and on condition that Israel is not singled out.

 Obama is 'still evil,' say Israeli lawmakers

Obama said in an Israeli TV interview broadcast on Thursday it is highly unlikely the Jewish state would surprise Washington with an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. "

Obama: Israelis suspicious of me because my middle name is Hussein

Obama to Abbas: I will make every effort to ensure Palestinian statehood-  U.S. President calls Abbas days after meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu to voice support for Palestinian leadership.

Jerusalem’s planning commission ended the de facto building freeze Monday night by approving building 32 new housing units in Pisgat Ze’ev, where 50,000 Jews lives in the northeastern part of the city.

Obama has rejected another Israeli request for advanced combat platforms. Diplomatic sources said Obama refused a request by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for Israeli access to a proposed stealth variant of the F-15E fighter-jet.

Seventy Eigth Week in Office

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday criticized US President Barack Obama for failing to provide him with clear answers to a number of questions regarding the future of peace talks with Israel. Abbas also confirmed that Obama has been exerting pressure on him to enter direct negotiations with Israel.

U.S. upgrades status of Palestinian mission in Washington ... on the 9th of Av

Seventy Ninth Week in Office

Abbas: Obama Promised Continued Construction Freeze

PLO Flag to Fly in Washington D.C.

Obama appointee Donald Berwick is heavily involved in the anti-Israel Physicians for Human Rights organization

Obama was behind British Prime Minister Cameron's attack on Israel

Eightieth Week in Office

Obama Reaches Out to Jews, Excludes Pro-Yesha Zionists

Israel blames U.S., France for arming Lebanon

Eighty First Week in Office

'Investigate US aid to Lebanese army'- A Florida congressman is seeking an investigation into whether American equipment was used by Lebanese forces who fired on Israel last week or if the soldiers had received US-funded training

The Obama administration plans to sell advanced F-15 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia

State Dept. delayed 24 hours to condemn recent Lebenese attack at Israel border

The Spanish Government decides to Fund Freeze Continuation Campaign for building on the Israeli West Bank... right around the time Michelle Obama is in Spain

The Obama administration, citing evidence of continued troubles inside Iran’s nuclear program, has persuaded Israel that it would take roughly a year — and perhaps longer — for Iran to complete what one senior official called a “dash” for a nuclear weapon

Eighty Third Week in Office

Obama's recess appointment, Dr. Donald Berwick, to head the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is a key figure in Physicians for Human Rights, an international organization that in recent years has been an aggressive and dishonest critic of Israel.

WH Visitor Logs Suggest J Street Contributed To U.S.-Israel Diplomatic Crisis J Street representatives met with the Obama administration frequently during the flare-up resulting from Joe Biden's visit to Israel.

The controversial imam behind a proposal  to build an Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero has advocated a plan that is widely regarded here as promoting the eradication of Israel as a Jewish state.

Eighty Fourth Week in Office

Obama will visit Jerusalem in coming months to press for a Middle East peace deal to be signed this year and implemented within a decade, according to a leaked White House report.

Are U.S. tax officials punishing Zionists who won't toe the White House line? Right-wing Z-Street sues IRS over claims it withheld tax breaks because campaigners' policies clashed with Obama's: 'This is a clear violation of the First Amendment.'

Obama 'to visit Jerusalem and Ramallah to press for peace'

Israel rabbi remarks on Palestinians 'deeply offensive': US

US Funds Left-Wing Palistinian Authority ‘Peace Partner’ PR Campaign

Jews killed on road where Obama demanded removal of checkpoints

On the eve of Middle East peace talks set to get underway at the White House Wednesday, the White House has condemned the attack Tuesday claimed by Hamas that killed four Israelis near Hebron, in the West Bank., then says..."We note that the Palestinian Authority has condemned this attack,"

The United States will not participate in a joint military exercise hosted by Turkey if Israel is not invited to join, a US embassy spokesperson said, according to a Wednesday report by Turkish newspaper Hurriyet.

Obama press conference on the second day of Rosh Hashana

Eighty Fifth Week in Office

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton backtracked on Friday from her previous pledge that “Israel’s right to exist in safety as a Jewish state, with defensible borders and an undivided Jerusalem as its capital, secure from violence and terrorism, must never be questioned.”

Obama to call rabbis

"Rabbi "Obama: Rosh Hashana greetings to Jews, gives advice: We Should Encourage Those Who Work Towards Peace

Obama, Clinton call on US Jews, Muslims to back talks

Eighty Sixth Week in Office

Newly discovered statements by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the man behind the Ground Zero mosque project- supported by Obama, show he supports the destruction of Israel

Middle East peace talks falter over question of Israeli settlements: The US repeated its demand that Israel extend a 10-month partial freeze on settlement building before it expires later this month.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Wednesday morning laid the groundwork for arguing that Israel needs a new Arab state in order to remain “democratic and Jewish."

Obama's top nuclear envoy warned Arab ambassadors Wednesday that they risk contributing to a failure of Middle East peace talks if they use an upcoming meeting in Vienna to pressure Israel over its nuclear program

Obama Wants To Restore Lebanon Aid Congress Feared Would Be Used Against Israel

Eighty Seventh Week in Office

Mitchell Says US Supports Lebanese Army

Obama ethics: 'Israel mulls deal to extend freeze for Pollard's release'

Obama not keen on Iran strike; 'not ideal solution'

Eighty Eighth Week in Office

Hillary Clinton makes last-ditch effort to save Middle East peace talks

Revelation about funding sources prompts distancing from J StreetThe White House appears to be distancing itself from the liberal advocacy group J Street that it once embraced as its envoy to the U.S. Jewish community

Eighty Ninth Week in Office

PLO Decides to Break Off Talks. Obama Still Hoping for Change

Jewish voters don't reflexively back Rahm Emanuel for Chicago mayor Some local Jewish voters at odds with Emanuel's role in Obama's Israel policy, his politics when in Congress — and his coarse language

Israel haters: Obama connected Israel group 'J Street' Co-Founder Daniel Levy: Israel’s Creation “An Act That Was Wrong"

A senior diplomatic source in Jerusalem said Thursday that there is “no chance” that Obama would consent to renewed settlement construction in two months' time, even if Israel consents to extending the building freeze in Judea and Samaria.(the west bank)

Nintieth Week in Office

Obama signed a waiver last week that allowed him to transfer funds to the Palestinian Authority, while relaxing some of reporting requirements. The announcement of the waiver, published October 7, did not include information on the amount or its purpose.

Double-talking on Israel: U.S. aids Palestinians? Obama demands Jews stop construction while building PA foothold in same areas

State Department spokesman says region must 'accept existence of Israel as homeland of Jewish people' after Netanyahu tells Knesset he is willing to extend settlement freeze in exchange for Palestinian recognition of Israel as Jewish

The Obama administration has refused to answer if it is bound by the 2004 Bush letter 22 times so far, it took six attempts yesterday to get the State Department spokesman, P.J. Crowley, to answer whether the U.S. recognizes Israel as a Jewish state

Ninety Third Week in Office

The US is negotiating the future borders of the Palestinian state with Israel, according to a report released by Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday. One option is reportedly that Israel would lease land in east Jerusalem from the Palestinian state for 40-99 years

Ninety Fourth Week in Office

The US government has condemned Israeli plans to build more than 1,000 new Israeli settler homes

Announcements from the municipality of Jerusalem on new housing units while Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu meets with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden may be aimed at “embarrassing” the Prime Minister, U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley suggested Monday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office sharply rejected international criticism of Israel’s most recently announced building plans in East Jerusalem, saying in a statement: “Jerusalem is not a settlement

US to transfer $150m aid to Palestinians

Ninety Fifth Week in Office

'US failed to convince Netanyahu to halt construction'

U.S.: We'll oppose delegitimization of Israel in exchange for settlement freeze

Saturday night: Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has convened his top mini-Cabinet of seven ministers for an emergency meeting in which they will vote on the United States demand that Israel re-freeze Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria for another three months.  In exchange, the U.S. promises 20 jet fighters, as well as an automatic veto of any anti-Israel resolution or demand in the United Nations.

The Obama administration did not seek to confront Israel publicly on the issue of plans for new building in east Jerusalem neighborhoods, a White House official told American Jewish leaders in a conference call

U.S. offers Israel warplanes in return for new settlement freeze (F-35)

Obama's statement Sunday hailing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for proposing a new settlement freeze in the disputed West Bank sent Israeli officials scrambling to clarify that the cabinet has not yet approved any action to stop construction

Israel: The security cabinet will not vote on a US proposal for a three-month settlement freeze until the Obama administration's promises are officially delivered to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in writing,

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers is demanding more assurances from the Obama administration that a record $60 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia won’t give the kingdom new military capabilities that threaten Israel.

US State Dept: Israel Similar to Iran, Iraq and Sudan: The department’s annual International Religious Freedom Report, released Wednesday for the year 2009, placed Israel in the same category as countries “where violators of religious freedom have been noteworthy” due to the Jewish State's emphasis on maintaining the status quo with regard to respect for Jewish legal standards

Ninety Sixth Week in Office

United States officials are unfamiliar with the commitments America is allegedly offering Israel in exchange for a ban on Jewish construction

Israeli PM: Cabinet to review US freeze deal when we get letter  Speaking to Likud MKs and deputy ministers, Netanyahu says will not bring issue to vote if written assurances don't arrive from US

Clinton and Obama Pulled 'Bait and Switch' on Netanyahu: As Israel waits for a letter clarifying America's guarantees in exchange for a proposed building ban for Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria, a diplomatic source has come forward saying that no such letter is on its way. United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton misled Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, and contrary to reports, the U.S. does not guarantee an end to the freeze, the source said.

IRS to Jewish group: 'Does your organization support the existence of the land of Israel?'

Netanyahu: No Document Means No Progress

Obama votes present as an attack on Israel: United Nations Human Rights Council this month adopted nine resolutions against Israel, the United States opposed none of the resolutions

Ninety Seventh Week in Office

US warns Israel of WikiLeaks release

Report: Israel growing frustrated with the US

Obama's lies to Israel, documented by Wikileaks

The Obama administration Adopts Israeli Anti-Terror Tactics, but Waffles on Defending Israel’s Use of Them

Obama choice for Rabbi at the White House Chanukah party, Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater is a J Street activist - ...Regular contributor to the Huffington Post, Defends Gay Jews",... -Defends Obama ....- Attacks oil exploration,

The United States on Tuesday abandoned its effort to persuade Israel to freeze construction of Jewish settlements

The Israeli government has spurned U.S. requests for a new moratorium of new Jewish settlements in Palestinian territories. Spurns offer of  F-35 fighters

A top Palestinian official questioned Washington's ability to forge Middle East peace after a new breakdown in American attempts to revive negotiations

Middle East peace talks collapse

Here we go again...U.S. does not, will not condone Israel's settlement activity, official says

Ninety Ninth Week in Office

Israel's leader does not want to share Jerusalem

J Street's anti-Israel agenda exposed?: Jiki Leaks

IRS finally issues reason why it won't allow tax exempt status for pro-Israel lobby group Z Street: ...In a signed affidavit, an IRS official explains that there is no "Israel Special Policy," instead it is a Terrorism Special Policy, and that Israel is included.  That's right, Israel is a terrorist state because terrorism happens there

Z ST's Opposition to Government's Motion to Dismiss the Complaint

IRS affidavit against Z Street

IRS Brief to Z Street

Palestinians to Mitchell: U.S. must demand that talks on borders be based on 1967 lines

Envoy says US committed to Palestinian state

Obama encouraging 'diplomatic assault' on Israel?..PA officials: President quietly permitting recognition of Palestinian state

Week One Hundred in Office

The media and the US administration are again colluding with the Israeli Left’s political leadership to overthrow the Netanyahu government

Netanyahu Decides to Ask Obama to Free Pollard

US stop-gap budget missing pledged increases for Israel

U.S. may delay aid for Israel's anti-rocket system due to budget woes

"Small amounts" of US Arms Reach Hizbullah, US Official Admits

Administration says they are against the UN anti-settlement resolutions proposed on Israel, but refuses to say if they will veto it

Obama Appointee Robert Ford, Ambassador to Syria, The previous ambassador to Syria was withdrawn by former President George W. Bush in 2005 in response to the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, as well as its support for Saddah Hussein-sympathizers and terrorism in general

Week One Hundred and Two in Office

The US has been secretly communicating with Syrian officials in recent weeks in hopes of brokering a comprehensive peace agreement between Syria and Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu says he has sent a letter to Obama asking him to free Jonathan Pollard

White House: We've Received Pollard Letter

U.S. criticizes Israel over Jerusalem settlement

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton early today condemned Israel's demolition of an east Jerusalem hotel complex, saying it undermines chances for peace with the Palestinians

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton dismissed on Sunday Israeli assessments of delays in the Iranian nuclear program and called for more work on sanctions to bring Tehran to heel.

Week One Hundred and Four in Office

A newsletter-publisher said to have ties with the Obama administration has called on Washington to end its strategic alliance with Israel

Obama is silent as the PLO mission raises flag in D.C.

 Nachumlist

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