So why bite the hand that feeds you? (or keep on biting it) After all its the USA that foots the bill for these illegal Jews-only settlements, the exclusive settler-only roads that connects them, the military checkpoints designed to destroy Palestinian society, the daily house demolitions and of course the Apartheid Wall that annexes much of the West Bank into Israel.
If the timing was made to make Joe look silly, it worked. It will make the second most powerful man in the world look very small when he visits Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in the West Bank today. Unless Israel makes a magnanamous gesture to 'put on hold' this expansion until Joe is safely home in the White House, he will still look small tomorrow when he travels to Jordan for talks with King Abdullah as well.
According to the BBC, "In a strongly worded statement, Mr Biden said: "I condemn the decision by the government of Israel to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem." Strong language from a man who yesterday was seen all smiling with Netanyahu at the press conference.
"The substance and timing of the announcement, particularly with the launching of proximity talks, is precisely the kind of step that undermines the trust we need right now and runs counter to the constructive discussions that I've had here in Israel."
Jeremy Bowen, writing from Jerusalem, says, "Israel, deliberately or not, inflicted something close to a humiliation on the Obama administration and the words they chose in reaction reflected that."
UN chief Ban Ki-moon also issued a statement condemning Israel's settlement plan.
"[Mr Ban] reiterates that settlements are illegal under international law," Reuters news agency quoted the statement as saying.
"Furthermore, he underscores that settlement activity is contrary to Israel's obligations under the roadmap, and undermines any movement towards a viable peace process."
Palestinian leaders have only recently agreed to resume indirect contacts with Israel, at Mr Biden's urging.
Biting the hand that feeds you? Perhaps more a slap in the face. At the very least it suggests a dysfunctional 'special' relationship. Maybe its time for a divorce if after 43 years mediation has failed.
Source BBC News
See also:
J Street J Street joins Biden in condemning Israel
Financial Times Israeli housing hits peace moves
Yahoo! UK and Ireland Biden condemns new Israel settlement plan
Times Online Israeli settlement plan threatens to wreck talks
Guardian.co.uk Israeli go-ahead for new settlement homes casts cloud over Biden visit
