Akiva Eldar
7 March 2006 Ha’aretz
Israel has in recent days delivered not one but two slaps to its closest ally.
The first came in remarks by ex-Shin Bet chief and senior Kadima candidate Avi Dichter, speaking of negating the road map and moving on to a policy of unilateralism – in contrast to statements by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in her joint news conference with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.
The second was delivered via a USAID report, which corroborated the claims of Palestinians that Israel was failing to keep promises it had made to Rice, a situation which according to the study could bring about economic catastrophe, beginning with the destruction of the Gaza hothouses project, which Washington had so strongly supported.
Since her return from her first visit as foreign minister to Washington last month, Tzipi Livni has been boasting of her tight cooperation and ties of coordination with her counterpart Rice. However, it appears that she has no similar relations with Dichter, who is placed a few slots after her on Kadima’s Knesset candidate list, because the former Shin Bet chief’s plan to replace the road map peace plan with unilateral moves amounts to a slap in the face to Livni’s new friend in the American State Department.
Tzipi Livni recently made headlines for calling Mahmud Abbas an irrelevant figleaf during a joint press conference with U.S. envoy David Welch. Another example of her tight cooperation with Rice?
Israel Border to Follow Barrier Route
MARK LAVIE
10 March 2006 Associated Press
Olmert said he would retain control over Jerusalem, including areas of the city claimed by the Palestinians for a future capital, and build another large West Bank settlement near the city. However, he also indicated he was ready to give up some Arab neighborhoods.
In interviews earlier this week, Olmert said he would keep Gush Etzion and Maaleh Adumim, near Jerusalem, and Ariel, deep in the West Bank, as well as maintaining control over the Jordan River Valley, the line between Jordan and the West Bank.
However, it is unclear whether he could retain these areas, especially Ariel.
[…]
In Gaza, Hamas lawmaker Mahmoud Zahar rejected Olmert’s plan.
“We cannot recognize any sort of these borders, especially the borders created by the wall,” he said.
Olmert told Yediot he will consult with world leaders to win recognition for the border.
“First of all, I will talk to President Bush,” he said.
Bush has backed Israel’s claims to retaining some settlement blocs, but American officials have reacted coolly to Israeli claims on Ariel. Washington has also expressed displeasure over Israeli plans to link Maaleh Adumim to Jerusalem, despite Olmert’s assertion in Yediot that the U.S. “has no doubt” that this will happen.
Officials at the U.S. Embassy did not return a message seeking comment.
Israel is not entitled to retain these areas but obviously has been given permission by the U.S. to do so, just as U.S. silence over Israel’s repeated threats to assassinate Ismail Haniyeh means it approves that illegal action as well.
To say Israel slaps the U.S. -and slaps again is stagecraft, pure and simple, and the international community sits idly by as this macabre play goes into act two. What cost that complacency?