Back at you:

http://cgis.jpost.com/Blogs/rosner/entry/biden_s_condemnation

Perfect decision and perfect timing.

Has Bibi finally decided to grow a spine? I guess better late than never.

As if the PLO was going to not walk away and refuse to negotiate anyway. Israel may as well get something by acting in lieu of what the US imagines the PLO might do.

You don't think the timing basically sucks?

Listen.

I think that Jerusalem is Israel's capitol, I don't think the city should be divided if possible, but the settlement issue is not well understood and if there is a case for these housing units it needs to be made more clearly.

So, what is the case exactly? Somebody please spell this out, coherently.

If it's a matter of exerting sovreignty over one's own capitol this is one thing, but this needs to be explained way more thoroughly because it's being interpreted as a) a provocation and b) an insult to the Palestinians.

I realize the latter may not bother some of you posting here but if the long range goal is peace, it is an important consideration. "Face", ie honor/shame, as Richard Landes points out, is important in the Middle East and this looks like a slap in the face and it will not be taken well.

Personally I think Rosner has a point. It does seem as if the far right parties are the tail wagging the dog on certain issues, this being one of them, and I also don't see an alternative being proposed that would compensate the Palestinians for what they and others regard as a threat to eventual viability in their future state.

It makes Bibi look stupid and weak, the pawn of the far right, not ballsy. And, it's not smart to underestimate the importance of this issue to the US. So, just thumping the chest isn't smart, it's important, if there's a case for this behavior, somebody better make it and then write to the White House explaining.

In fact I would be happy if somebody could explain it to ME.

Meanwhile do you think the Arabs are simply going to fold their cards and walk away from Jerusalem? As it is I fear more violence and this is the absolute last thing we should wish for.

However, if the history of Jerusalem were more carefully explained, including the facts about the war of 1948 and the expulsion of Jews from east Jerusalem and the West Bank; and also if citizenship in Israel were offered to the city's Palestinians immediately, IMMEDIATELY, with some proposition under which the capitol could be shared, even if it is primarily a ceremonial formality, this might help diffuse matters.

As it is I personally think the Obama admistration has overstated the settlement issue and forced both sides into a corner, but, it does need to be addressed along with the future of Jewish citizenship or residency in a Palestinian state and also in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Syria.

Israel shouldn't be a ghetto after all, there needs to be openness on the part of the Arabs too, and this isn't being argued persuasively because the settlement issue is clouding these larger issues, for example the fact that land sales to Jews are simply forbidden not only on the West Bank but in Jordan.

So? Can somebody please frame this issue in a way that makes sense?

Are these units within an existing neighborhood that would be considered part of Israel in a final negotiation?

Or what?

Tell me, when is the timing ever not an issue? It's always a bad moment because "something's" always going on or just around the corner. They've been offering to share Jerusalem since day -1 and it doesn't do a thing because the Arabs are not interested in sharing. Period. If Israel has the right to build then they have the right to build whenever and they need to go about their business like they mean it.

Try this:
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/hazony/253806

"In making the move on Jerusalem, the Israeli government is trying to avoid the ambiguities that were the undoing of Oslo. Anyone hoping for a successful negotiation leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, they are saying, had better forget about the division of Jerusalem. Sometimes, it’s the timing that drives the point home."

this needs to be explained way more thoroughly because it's being interpreted as a) a provocation and b) an insult to the Palestinians

Well, if the so called "Palestinians" consider Jews living in Jerusalem (and building there) a provocation and an insult, I think that is all we really need to know about the "peace process".

In my view, the correct strategy in this case would be to keep "provoking" and "insulting" them as strongly and as often as humanly possible. So that they (as well as the rest of the world) get used to the idea of Jerusalem as the Jewish capital and one day get bored with staging fake indignation.

Unfortunately, now the Arab League is suggesting that they are no longer recommending peace talks.

I think there are some misconceptions about what is going on here.

Apparently, it's pretty clear to one side that Jerusalem is the capitol of Israel and isn't to be divided, and the other side claims at least east Jerusalem.

It's a huge problem when people won't even discuss the issue, including the possibility of sharing the capitol.

This really comes across badly though, for Israel. I've been reading comments on various blogs throughout the day. Overwhelmingly Israel is being blamed for derailing the peace talks and embarrassing the US.

I don't see this ending well at all.

Well Sophia your Administration gave them the excuse to continue rejecting everything.
They rejected Barak and Clinton's offer; They rejected Olmert's offer and now they reject once again because they are "provoked and insulted" by the presence of Jews.