Israeli Settlements
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has been forthright in his condemnation, first yesterday and again today, of the Israeli announcement that permission has been given for a whole lot more illegal homes to be built in East Jerusalem. This is very welcome. For far too long America has stood coyly to one side during Israel’s excesses and if there is to be any decent chance of progress in the single most important theatre of tension in the world, the Obama administration will have to get tough with its ally. Only when Israel can see it is going to lose more than it gains from theses dreadful and deluded policies will it reign back. Let us hope Biden and his boss have the stuff it takes to keep it up. They will have to talk very tough to the mega powerful Israel lobby in their own country as well.