Israel defies Bush, calls tenders for new West Bank homes

[lovuian]

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=52e50439cbc6fec4



Big News Network.com Monday 18th April, 2005

The Israeli government called for tenders on Monday to construct fifty new homes for settlers in the West Bank.

The move comes just days after U.S. President George W Bush told Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to stop expanding settlements.

A spokesman for the Israel Lands Authority, Yaakov Harel, confirmed fifty new homes would be added to the Elkana settlement, near the Green Line border. Infrastructure work had been completed for the project, and construction of the homes could begin in two to three months, he said.

Existing settlements in the West Bank and in Gaza are in contravention of international law and any expansion is likely to rile the U.S.

Last week President Bush said in his opening remarks after meeting with the Israeli prime minister, "I told the Prime Minister of my concern that Israel not undertake any activity that contravenes road map obligations or prejudice final status negotiations. Therefore, Israel should remove unauthorized outposts and meet its road map obligations regarding settlements in the West Bank."

more...

Not surprising!!!

[ugarte]

1. Bush will fold in a heartbeat

The Bible-thumping fundies will be on him like a plague of locusts.

[blogbear]

2. Not surprising at all!!!

[Nothing Without Hope]

3. They know Bush will never really lean on the Israeli government

It's too central to the neocons' plans for the Middle East. By doing this, the Israeli government is reassuring all the right-wingers in their own country - maybe the American neocons understand that procedure, they do it often enough themselves. Like threatening those "activist judges" or grandstanded over vegetative-state patients. If the Israeli govt announced that there would absolutely never be more settlements in Palestinian territory and that the existed ones would all be dismantled, their right-wingers would rise up in political (and maybe physical) revolt and throw them out. Very bad situation, and the neocons are not the ones that can do anything about it. They have no credibility at all.

[DemFromMem]

4. Uh huh

As this news directly contradicted some other stories I've seen in the last few days and weeks, I was curious about the source.

I went to "bignewsnetwork.com" and had to say I was not impressed. The site had loads of grammar problems and it had this to say about itself:

"Our news is collated from our own resources, major news originators, contracted services, localised sources, World class newspapers, government media, press releases, international and regional tv (cable & free-to-air) networks, radio stations, and official bodies.

We scan the World’s media, select, and edit headlines for production on our network of news sites, and for distribution to the World Wide Web. We provide content for portals, and Web sites, spanning more than 80 countries.

Big News Network.com has been on-air since 1998, however a substantial upgrading of our search and software resources over the past two years, saw the site re-launch on March 3 2003. We chose this day as the third day, of the third month, of the third year, of the third millennium, an event that won’t be repeated for another 1,000 years."

Aside from the grammar issues in the one static page on the site - the one describing itself - it purports to be collating news from news outlets all over the world. Yet there is no attribution of this article to any news source. There is no byline indicating who the reporter is. Why should we believe this other than the person posting this article wants us to believe it?

Finally, I think it might be helpful to disclose one more thing from their site:

"We are incorporated in Manama, Bahrain."

Not that all Arabic news sources are biased against Israel, but you have to dig hard to find this disclosure on the site.

I would request Lovuian to do the DU community a favor and confirm this story with a more credible publication.

[Scurrilous]

5. White House seeks clarifications

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3074461,00.html

U.S. Administration concerned about plan to build 50 residential units in West Bank settlement. Americans also seek clarification over reports that upcoming pullout may be delayed by several weeks

<snip>

"The White House is seeking Israeli clarifications over plans to build 50 residential units in the West Bank settlement of Elkana, near the Green Line."

<snip>

"We will be seeking clarification from the government of Israel,” White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. “Israel should not be expanding settlements.”

The latest remarks from the White House come a week after U.S President George W. Bush urged Sharon to freeze West Bank settlement expansion."

[lovuian]

7. Thank you Scurilous for giving another source!!!

I don't think people realize that Big News Network has articles from the top News agency's in the world!!!

It maybe located in Bahrain but most of the articles come from the
Independant MSNBC Herald Reuters etc...

So there is another source to back up Big news and this is not going to be on MSNBC or CNN cause it shows Bush is being totally ignored by Sharon!!!


i thought this was about Freedom of Speech and getting information out to DUER"S

Who we all love!!!

[DemFromMem]

8. thanks

Another link can be found at http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/566423.html which is usually considered pretty credible.

The point of my post was not to say whether it was true or not. The point was that the web has led to the proliferation of a lotof questionable news outlets. I'm just warning that the buyer beware.

I would also take a look at the timing of the story and use your head. Sharon is about to undertake what will be an incredibly risky endeavor - the evacuation of 8,900 extremist settlers from Gaza. The announcement of granting housing permits for 50 new houses - if true - is probably intended to diffuse the tension that is building up surrounding the evacuation. He knows he really can't get into too much political trouble announcing plans for 50 houses.

I also have some doubt about whether Sharon is really intending to do this. A story in Ha'Aretz last week noted that despite regular announcements by the Israeli government of settlement expansions over the last year, there had been virtually no expansions that actually happened. The thought was that Sharon was just giving lip service to quell the whackos while at the same time keeping the Bush folks and Palestinians happy.

[lovuian]

9. Your Welcome!!! And very interesting points!!!

"The point of my post was not to say whether it was true or not. The point was that the web has led to the proliferation of a lotof questionable news outlets. I'm just warning that the buyer beware."

what News outlets are ???

When you look on Big News you will see Herald MSNBC CNN Reuters Independant Asia Times LA Times NY Times

these are all credible News Agencies aren't they???

And let me say I have read articles from "CREDIBLE NEWS AGENCIES"
and later found out the articles have been false!!!

Oh and there is that "CREDIBLE" News Reporter sitting there with those "CREDIBLE NEWS AGENCIES" in the White House Press agency of which the President Bush asks questions to and gets softball answers back!!! called JEFF GANNON!!!

So I guess my point is "CREDIBLE" is subjective here in 2005!!!

Sorry I'm a bit sensitive to this!!!

[DemFromMem]

10. Look at the link

This article had no attribution - not very professional. I think people can follow the link for the article and look around at that site and form their own opinion - no need to rely on you or me.

As for the other point in my post, I did find the link to the story I mentioned - http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/562038.html.

Here's the money quote:

"The state has not sold lots or issued tenders for construction in the West Bank settlement blocs since August 2004, even though Prime Minister Ariel Sharon repeatedly says that these blocs will remain part of Israel under any agreement with the Palestinians.

The freeze was instituted on direct orders from Sharon, in seeming contradiction to his oft-repeated declaration that in exchange for the disengagement from the Gaza Strip and the northern West Bank, he intended to strengthen Israel's hold on the settlement blocs.

Thousands of apartments are still being built in the territories on the basis of previously issued permits, mainly in Ma'aleh Adumim, Betar Illit and Modi'in Illit, which are all located in the blocs. But dozens of plans for the construction of thousands of additional units in the blocs are stuck in various stages of the approval process. The only exception to the eight-month-old freeze was a Housing Ministry tender for the construction of 10 apartments in Ariel.

Government officials responded that construction tenders are issued in accordance with demand. The Yesha Council of settlements rejected this explanation, saying that demand now is higher than it was in the past. "

[lovuian]

11. Was the date on the article 8/4 thats awhile back

Interesting!!! but I would say this is April and Bush has just recently mentioned this...and things are getting a bit testy!!!

[rodeodance]

18. april 18 (WH seeking clarification article)

-Reuters also contributed to this report



First Published: 04.18.05, 22:58
Latest Update: 04.19.05, 00:18

[hector459]

6. Was there ever any doubt about who calls the shots for the US ME policy?

Never any doubt with me.

[Behind the Aegis]

12. No doubts

Any country with oil.

[not systems]

13. But at least that makes some economic sense. n/t

[Behind the Aegis]

14. it does make sense

the Rethug motto: "money before people!" So it only makes sense that our ME policies are formed by those who can make the rich, richer!

[not systems]

15. So we should help the poorest and most dispossessed in the ME? n/t

[Behind the Aegis]

16. Perhaps

If they are willing to help themselves. Just because someone is poor and dispossessed doesn't make them less responsible for their behavior.

[chicagojoe]

17. Ultimately, Bush will NEVER

say or do anything that will piss off his Saudi-Israelian friends.
They own him.

[Colorado Blue]

19. I'm a little confused. I believe it is Saudi Arabia where the

Wahabi sect is located, which is radically and violently anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli. Also, I believe Saudi money finds its way into all kinds of violent actions AGAINST both US and Israeli interests, the US interests being oil and money, the Israeli interests being their lives.

I recently posted a link about violence in Central Asia, possibly linked to Saudi attempts to destroy Turkmen and other local interests, from building a pipeline. The Saudis don't want to share their oil revenues.

This violence has spilled over into antisemitic attacks in Central Asia.

You should be very careful about making broad oversimplifications and rascist generalizations. If you do some reading in this forum you will see quite a few threads on some of the bigoted propaganda about Jewish people and about Israel, which are being taught and broadcast all over the world.

You do not, perhaps, realize you have just reflected them.