The argument over Israel's action in East Jerusalem is gathering momentum. The plan to build more settlers' houses on occupied Palestinian lands will not help the achievement of peace in the Middle East, U.S President, Barack Obama said on Thursday. Responding, the Israeli foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman calls the demand for halting the construction of 1,500 houses for Jews unjustified and discriminatory.
The series of statements have been made against the background of the Moscow meeting of the Middle East peace process mediating quartet comprising Russia, the U.S, the EU and the UN, who are meeting on Friday in the Russian capital, to discuss the holding of indirect talks between Israelis and Palestinians.
A few days ago, the Israeli government gave the green light to the building of 1,600 houses for Jewish settlers on seized lands in East Jerusalem. Tel-Aviv announced the decision after Palestinians had agreed in principle to hold indirect talks with Israel.
The international community has sharply condemned the action of Israel, and Moscow has been among the first countries to call on Israel to show restraint and to rescind its decision on the construction of, more settlers' houses. The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-Moon has called on both sides to refrain from any action capable of undermining the peace negotiations. An EU official has called the building of Jewish settlements an obstacle to regional peace, and the U.S, which sees the action of Tel-Aviv as a challenge, has demanded that Israel should restore the lost trust between the warring sides. But the statement by President Obama, broadcast live by the Fox television station was softer in tone than was expected, said Boris Dolgov of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Oriental Institute:
"Barack Obama calls Israel a strategic ally, saying that the bond of friendship between them remains strong, although they have differences over some issues, by which he meant Tel-Aviv's action in East Jerusalem. Without a shadow of doubt, Obama's statement sounds rather conciliatory, compared to U.S initial reaction to Israel's announcement of the decision to build more settlers' houses on occupied Arab lands", pointed out Dolgov.
In the Russian capital, the Middle East peace process quartet will hammer out a coordinated position, and attempts will be made to resurrect the compromise between the Palestinians and Israelis, achieved with much difficulty, but so lightly put asunder by Tel-Aviv's ill-advised decision to build more settlers' houses in East Jerusalem. It will soon be known whether the attempts have been successful.
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