National Council of Young Israel President Shlomo Z. Mostofsky, Esq. yesterday criticized comments made by Vice President Joseph Biden regarding the Jerusalem District Planning Committee’s decision to authorize 1,600 new units of housing in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo.
In a statement issued by the White House, the Vice President said, “I condemn the decision by the government of Israel to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem. The substance and timing of the announcement, particularly with the launching of proximity talks, is precisely the kind of step that undermines the trust we need right now…..”
In addition, Vice President Biden spoke about the future of Jerusalem when he said, “The United States recognizes that Jerusalem is a deeply important issue for Israelis and Palestinians and for Jews, Muslims and Christians. We believe that through good faith negotiations, the parties can mutually agree on an outcome that realizes the aspirations of both parties for Jerusalem and safeguards its status for people around the world. Unilateral action taken by either party cannot prejudge the outcome of negotiations on permanent status issues.”
The following is Mostofsky’s statement:
“We strongly ‘condemn’ Vice President Biden’s statements and respectfully urge him to rescind his incendiary remarks about Jerusalem. The reality is that there is no such entity as ‘East Jerusalem,’ there is only Jerusalem, which is the united capital of Israel. Only Israel can make determinations regarding Jerusalem’s future expansion and development.
How could a Vice President of the United States promote a policy restricting the right of Jews to build homes in Jerusalem? It would be an anathema for a Vice President to support a statute that banned any American from relocating to, or from building a home in, Washington, D.C. or any American community because the neighbors objected to their presence based solely on religion, ethnicity or national origin. Yet, the Vice President ignored our American values of equality and justice and had no compunction condemning Israel for permitting Jews to build homes in Jerusalem, their country’s capital.
The Vice President misleadingly gave the Palestinian Authority the illusion that condemnation or pressure by the United States would force any Israeli government to include Jerusalem in negotiations. The overwhelming majority of Israelis believe Israel has no legitimate peace partner and rejects negotiations involving Jerusalem. Instead of pandering to terrorists, the Vice President should have told the PA to amend its charter, stop preaching hatred in their schools and mosques, and immediately halt all plans for terrorist attacks. Instead of criticizing those who wish to build and live peacefully in the State of Israel, the Vice President should have denounced those who wish to destroy it.
Vice President Biden did not condemn the Palestinian Authority’s decision to name a public square in Ramallah after Dalal al-Mughrabi, who carried out a horrific terrorist attack in 1978 that killed thirty-seven innocent Israelis, or denounce PA Prime Minister Salam Fayad’s role in the dedication ceremony. The Vice President should have condemned the Palestinian Authority for encouraging its youth to hurl rocks from the Temple Mount at Jewish worshipers praying below at the Western Wall.
If the events of 9/11 taught us anything, it is that you cannot appease terrorists. Jerusalem has been the eternal capital of the Jewish people for thousands of years, and since 1948, of the State of Israel. The condemnation of Vice President Biden will not alter that fact or lead to peace in the Middle East. If the Vice President truly wanted to encourage the peace process, he should have condemned the Palestinian Authority for its inability to be a stable and honest partner for peace, praised Israel as America’s only true friend and ally in the Middle East, and commended Israel for its brave and costly efforts on behalf of peace.
So long as the Palestinian Authority celebrates terror and sanctions violence against Jews, the United States cannot in good conscience engage in any substantive talks with them about anything. The United States would be best served by acknowledging the Palestinian Authority’s failings and recognizing the fact that Israel is its friend, not its foe.”
{Noam Amdurski-Matzav.com Newscenter}
Beautiful remarks. Thank you, Reb Shlomo.
Israel can do what it wants.
But so can the United States.
We give them billions of dollars in aid and they return the favor by sending spies to our country…and insulting us whenever they please.
They assume that since they have such a strong lobby in the US, they can do what they want without concern for American opinion.
Perhaps Israel would do better not to accept Aid from the US.
Otherwise it’s just biting the hand that feeds it.