Obama to Confront Israel on 'Biblical Heartland?'
Aaron Klein
April 1, 2009
 Jewish settlement in West Bank |
The PA official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. delegation last week told the PA in a meeting it views Israel's presence in the West Bank as an obstacle to peace and that Obama was ready for a possible confrontation with incoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the issue of any new construction in the territory.
The PA official, who was present at last week's meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah, said the State Department officials told the Palestinian leadership that Obama opposed both so-called illegal outposts and "natural growth" of settlements – meaning expanding existing Jewish communities in the West Bank to accommodate a growing population.
Previously, the Bush administration opposed "illegal outposts," a term referring to Jewish structures built in the West Bank without Israeli government approval. But the Bush White House and State Department largely accepted Israel's West Bank natural growth trends.
The PA official said Obama's administration conveyed messages that it is seeking a nearly complete Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank, which borders Jerusalem and is within rocket range of Tel Aviv and Israel's international airport.
One Palestinian activist told WND the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem was closely monitoring all Jewish construction in the West Bank.
"The consulate is in contact with many Palestinian activists. They tell us that if we see a single packet of cement for (Jewish) building, to call and let them know," the activist said.
Israeli officials previously confirmed to WND the U.S. consulate was closely monitoring both West Bank and eastern Jerusalem construction to the point that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert received several calls from the consulate since January asking about the alleged sighting of bulldozers in Maale Adumim, an eastern Jerusalem community.
A State Department spokeswoman would not comment on closed door meetings with the PA, except to say, "We are committed to a two state solution."
While Jewish construction is being closely watched, the U.S. has not protested rampant illegal Arab construction on Jewish-owned property in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem.
Israel recaptured the West Bank in the 1967 Six Day War. The territory, in which about 200,000 Jews live, is tied to Judaism throughout the Torah and is often referred to as the biblical heartland of Israel.
The book of Genesis says Abraham entered Israel at the West Bank city of Shechem (Nablus) and received God's promise of land for his offspring.
He was later buried with the rest of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs, except for Rachel, in Hebron's Tomb of the Patriarchs. The West Bank's Hebron was site of the first Jewish capital.
The nearby West Bank town of Beit El – anciently called Bethel, meaning "house of God" – is where Scripture says the patriarch Jacob slept on a stone pillow and dreamed of angels ascending and descending a stairway to heaven. In the dream, God spoke directly to Jacob and reaffirmed the promise of territory. Earlier, God had promised the land of Israel to Abraham at Beit El. In Exodus, the holy tabernacle rested just north of Beit El in Shiloh, believed to be the first area the ancient Israelites settled after fleeing Egypt.