Israel-Palestine: A US-Israeli Deal on the Settlements?

Haaretz states, via the Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv, that US officials are allowing the Israeli Government to continue construction of 2,500 housing units in the West Bank

Israeli Government spokesman Mark Regev would not confirm speculations but said that the US and Israel have been trying to find a common ground on the sensitive settlement issue. Washington has been silent, but "Western officials" stated that, having made some concessions, Israel could at least finish off some existing projects which are close to completion or bound to private contracts that cannot be broken.

Following Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s meetings in Washington and with US envoy George Mitchell in London, this speculation raises the question: Is the US acceptance of the 2500 units due to the specifics of private contracts and Israeli law on settlements, or have the two sides found common ground where both sides meet with some concessions?

Video: "Gaza Ship" Detainees Released by Israel

Audio on Hiding Gaza, Hiding Israel: The Jailing of Cynthia McKinney (and 20 Others)

Former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire, and 19 other activists were freed by Israel after a week in detention. Their boat The Spirit of Humanity, carrying humanitarian aid for Gazans, was intercepted and boarded by Israel naval forces. The Free Gaza Movement reported that, despite the release,

Many passengers did not get all of their belongings back, many computers were stolen, some that were returned had their hard drives completely erased. Many of the pieces of camera equipment were not given back as well, and, of course, none of the tapes of the boarding, roughing up or incarceration of the 21 people who have been returned.

Thanks to Mondoweiss for posting the news and this video, from the Council on American-Islamic Relations:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d6UPOnxP5E[/youtube]

Syria's Assad: Halt Israeli Settlements in the West Bank

On Tuesday, Syrian President Bashar Assad hosted German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Damascus. After the meeting, Assad put another condition on peace negotiations with Israel: halting activity in the West Bank settlements.

Calling for an halt to settlement activity before peace negotiations is not as big an obstacle for a regional settlement as it might seem. This move has two dimensions. First, Syria wants to link its security with the perception of concern for the Palestinians. This would not only increase its influence in the region but also move closer to Barack Obama’s rhetoric on Israel. Second, this is not just pressure upon Tel Aviv but also upon Washington. Syria wants to see tangible steps from the Obama Administration on both the Palestinian and Syrian fronts.

This two-way message is being laid out to maintain a balance between Iran and the US. Meanwhile, the chief target of the Syrian manoeuvre is clear: Assad said that there was no real partner in Israel to make peace.

Video: Obama's "No Green Light to Israel" on CNN

LATEST Iran: Joe Biden’s “Green Light” and an Israeli Airstrike

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Oh, No, He Didn’t. In an interview with CNN on Tuesday, Barack Obama issued a strong “clarification” of Biden’s statement. This was “absolutely not” a green light for an Israeli attack: “We have said directly to the Israelis that it is important to try and resolve this in an international setting in a way that does not create major conflict in the Middle East.” Obama explained, “”I think Vice President Biden stated a categorical fact, which is we can’t dictate to other countries what their security interests are. What is also true is that it is the policy of the United States to resolve the issue of Iran’s nuclear capabilities in a peaceful way through diplomatic channels.”

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UPDATE (7 July, 0800 GMT): There is still a lively debate over what Joe Biden "really meant" with his words on Sunday. That seems to miss the point that the significance is what others think he meant or how they turn his words to their advantage. The latest reaction comes from the Iranian Government. where Speaker of the Parliament Ali Larijani issued a stern warning at a meeting in Qatar on Monday:

We will consider the Americans responsible in any adventure launched by the Zionist entity….No politician or person in the world can imagine that the Zionist entity can lead an operation without getting the green light from the United States.

Marc Lynch, always perceptive and well-informed, shares my concern with Joe Biden's Sunday statement that "Israel can determine for itself — it’s a sovereign nation — what’s in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else". He is especially concerned with how it is being interpreted by Israeli and regional media.

Lynch adds, however: "A senior White House source tells me that this is being misreported, and points me to this from White House spokesman Tommy Vietor:
'The Vice President refused to engage hypotheticals, and he made clear that our policy has not changed. Our friends and allies, including Israel, know that the President believes that now is the time to explore direct diplomatic options, as with the P5+1[talks on Iran's nuclear programme].'"

For another challenging interpretation that sees Biden's statement as part of a shrewd and subtle White House strategy on both Israel and Iran, see Josh Mull ("UJ") in the comments on the original post: "If [Obama's advisors] backpedal, I’m willing to give in and say that yes Biden gaffed. If the administration stays quiet, or even better defends Biden, then I think my reading will be in the neighborhood of accurate."

Meanwhile, the Israelis --- in line with Lynch's concern --- are quite happy to run with the idea that Biden has given them the go-ahead. Last night the Israeli Consulate in New York, via Twitter, eagerly sent out the message, "Biden on whether US would block Israeli att 2 target Iran's nuclear facilities. 'ISR has a right 2 determine its intrests.'"

The Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz offers an alternative approach from Tel Aviv:

Israel is urging the United States and other countries to start preparing now for the possibility that Washington's proposed dialogue with Iran will fail, by readying a "Plan B" that includes "paralyzing sanctions" and other measures against Tehran. The U.S. has resisted this idea so far.

The Israeli messages - sent against the background of the recent unrest in Iran - have been delivered to the White House, the State Department and senior officials in the U.S. intelligence community by senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office and the Foreign Ministry. Similar messages have been sent to senior officials in Germany, Russia, France and Japan.