I support Israel, but this move is just not very smart.
Via CBNNews.com:
MAALE ADUMIM, Israel — Britain and France threatened to recall their ambassadors after Israel announced plans to build on land Palestinian Arabs claim as part of a future Palestinian state.
Israel said it would build more than 3,000 new apartments in areas known biblically as Judea and Samaria.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the announcement to protest the U.N. vote last week that granted non-member observer state status to the Palestinian Authority on these very lands.
Israel said the vote abrogated agreements the P.A. and Israel made to each other years ago in the Oslo Accords.
Netanyahu also said the P.A. “…was waging a struggle against the very existence of the State of Israel.”
Some in Washington, D.C., wanted to cut funding to both the P.A. and the U.N., but the British and French governments objected to Israel’s decision to build.
“We don’t tell the British of the French where to build in Paris or London and we do not expect anybody to tell us what to do,” Israeli Minister of Infrastructure Uzi Landau said.
Another part of the controversy concerns plans to expand Maale Adumim, a Jewish community just outside Jerusalem with a population of more than 40,000.
Palestinians say geographically the expansion would create a land barrier breaking the continuity of their future state. For Israel, it would link this Jewish Israeli suburb to Jerusalem.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and many nations call the land “occupied” territory.
But Israel said the land is not “occupied” but “disputed” and that the nation has both a natural right and territorial claims on it.
Herein lies the problem with this whole of Israel building on this land. Israel is making a Biblical argument for this land, which is pretty ironic, considering that most Jews deny that the Bible is really even true and that Jesus Christ actually existed — or at the very least that He was, in fact, the Messiah. Which is why they were the ones who had him crucified.
Making Biblical arguments like this is great in the context of a Church service or something of that Nature. But, when dealing with secular issues, like land allocation. the Israels come off sounding like Religious nut balls. This is another reason Hamas and Hezbollah are always firing rockets into Israel; because of acts provocation like this one here.
Please, do not misunderstand me here. Firing rockets into Israel is just morally wrong. However, acts of provocation of this nature are just as morally wrong. The land of this territory is disputed, and pushing this sort of idiocy, is just going to provoke more attacks from Palestine and the Gaza strip. This might make Likud Party look good to the Jews that vote for them. But to the outside world, it makes Israel look very bad in the eyes of the International Community —- and yes, that does matter; when you are wanting to respected and recognized by the international community. Israel needs to work on stabilizing peace and its own borders and not in committing acts of provocation.
One thing I will say; outside of rhetorical flourishes, the United States is staying out of this conflict. Which, at this point, is a pretty good idea. Let these people settle their own differences. Because the last time America became involved in the Arab/Jewish struggle, we paid for it dearly. We cannot afford to allow that to happen again.
Pray for peace, and above all; Pray for wisdom for the leaders of the Nation of Israel.