2. 'Obama Behind Jerusalem Apartheid'
by Maayana Miskin 
Recent days have seen conflicting reports on construction in Jerusalem. While Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu states that construction in Jerusalem will continue, reports indicate that in practice, Jews are barred from building in some parts of the capital city. Arutz Sheva's Hebrew news service spoke to Jerusalem Construction and Building Planning Committee member Yair Gabbai to clarify the situation.
According to Gabbai, there is definitely a distinction being made between "west" Jerusalem, meaning the territory that has been under Israeli sovereignty since 1948, and "east" Jerusalem, the lands that were under Jordanian control from 1948 until 1967. Recently, officials have begun making a distinction between Jews and Arabs, allowing Arabs to build in neighborhoods where Jews are turned down for construction permits, he said.
"The most recent meetings have taken on a certain apartheid-like quality," he said. "Construction permits in eastern Jerusalem are given exclusively to Arabs, while in the western half of the city there's no discrimination."
United States President Barack Obama is behind the de facto construction freeze, Gabbai believes. "[Obama] is the source of the pressure on the prime minister and the government to freeze construction in eastern Jerusalem, even though it's not good for Jerusalem," he said.
The construction freeze is not only discriminatory, but is even criminal, he said. By law, the entire city of Jerusalem is under Israeli sovereignty, and no distinction should be made between various neighborhoods.
Gabbai suggested two ways in which Israelis can fight the Jerusalem building freeze. One path would be a legal battle. "I'm convinced that if a Jew can prove he's been discriminated against, and that suddenly only Arab construction plans are coming before the committee even though he was supposed to come before the committee as well, the court won't allow it," he said.
Another possibility is to fight the freeze at its source, by putting pressure on Obama, he said. If tens of thousands of Americans take to the streets and tell Obama to leave Jerusalem alone, the president will be forced to do so, he stated.
"The American public... is sensitive to the subject of Jerusalem, more so than to any other part of American foreign policy. If the public's anger is aroused, he will be forced to change his policy," Gabbai said. Proof of the Obama administration's need for public support can be seen in the administration's efforts to enlist support from Jewish organizations in the wake of tensions over Jerusalem, he added.
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This again shows the audacity of this administration. Even Bush didn't go quite that far and who knows, without the opinion of the Jew hating State Department under then residing State Department head Condoliza Rice, he might have not even gone so far.
To the thousands of supporters of Michael Behenna,
Many of you have been asking about the latest on Michael's appeal. Michael's appellate brief was filed on December 22, 2009 and the military's response brief was due January 21, 2010. The military asked for and was granted a three-month extension to April 21, 2010. Then sometime in early April the military filed for and received yet another three-month extension making their response brief not due until July 22, 2010! But most amazing of all was that the extension was granted without notice being provided to Michael's attorneys to argue against it.
From the start of this hell we have tried to put our trust in the military justice system. But time and time again this 'justice' system has failed this young man who defended our liberties in the face of a ruthless enemy. First it was the withholding of evidence in Michael's trial and now this. The government will have had seven months to respond to Michael's appellate brief when it should have taken only seven weeks. It appears to us that the Army is deliberately doing everything it can to delay Michael's appeal process. And for what end you ask? We may never know, just as we may never know what was really behind the Army prosecuting Michael in the first place. But in the face of these delay tactics we have become even more convinced of the strength of Michael's appeal (which the military is struggling to counter.) As Thomas Paine wrote, 'Tyranny is not easily conquered, but our consolation is that the harder the conflict, the greater the triumph.'
Despite everything Michael is faring well. He draws strength from the many letters he receives and your continued correspondence will help him leave Leavenworth the way he arrived – with his head held high. Michael 'celebrates' his 27th birthday behind bars on May 18th. This will be his second birthday in Leavenworth Prison and is yet another reminder of how long he has been away from family and friends. Please consider sending Michael a birthday card to let him know he is not forgotten and to encourage him to keep the faith. You can send your cards and letters to:
Michael Behenna #87503
1300 N. Warehouse Road
Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027-2304
Finally, good news was received this week concerning the two Navy SEALS exonerated of injuring an Al Qaeda leader. In addition, Sgt Larry Hutchins, a Marine held at Leavenworth, had his case overturned in the Navy Court of Appeals. These men are decorated heroes who have served this country honorably and deserve our support. It is my hope that the pendulum is truly swinging back in favor of our soldiers and away from a capricious and political military justice system led by people who have NEVER been in harms way. Please continue to contact your Congressmen and Senators and let them know that our soldiers deserve our unending support, especially when they are defending themselves in a combat zone.
Bless each of you for supporting all of our troops,
Sincerely,
Scott and Vicki Behenna
Proud Parents of 1LT Michael Behenna
www.defendmichael.com More news on Michael Behenna. We need to pray for this young man who did nothing less than serve his country. The least they could do is get on with the trial and include all the evidence including the forensic that could further Michael's case in the court room. Instead they're dragging their feet while he sits in a cell in Fort Leavingworth.
Israel agrees to halt Jerusalem construction
The US State Department announced on Sunday that Israel had agreed to freeze construction in the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo for two years as a goodwill gesture to the Palestinians.
State Department Spokesman Philip Crowley said the Israeli commitment was made during a meeting with US envoy George Mitchell that wrapped up the first round of indirect US-brokered peace negotiations.
The Ramat Shlomo building project was at the center of the recent rift in US-Israel relations after mid-level approval for the construction was announced during a visit by US Vice President Joe Biden. Washington called the move an "insult" considering that the US has supported the Palestinians' claim to Jerusalem as their future capital.
The Palestinians and the Americans at the time demanded that Israel officially halt the Ramat Shlomo project, to which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded that Israel has the right to build anywhere in its ancient capital.
Despite Netanyahu's public defiance, municipal officials noted that it become nearly impossible to approve new building permits in the wake of the incident, and that an unofficial building freeze had taken hold. If accurate, Sunday's announcement marked the beginning of an official Jewish building freeze in eastern Jerusalem.
Basically what I heard Tamar Yonah say on Israel "National Radio," not to get mixed up with the following articles of "Israel Today", the ten month building freeze imposed on Israel by Obama is basically telling the Jews that they have no right to have children in their own land. Sadly, Bibi Netanyahu even so he made a show of standing up against Obama becomes soft now again and therefore, "unofficially," there's a building freeze now in all of East Jerusalem.
Israeli warplanes strike Gaza
Israeli warplanes attacked two terrorist targets in southern Gaza late Sunday night, a day after Gaza-based Palestinian terrorists fired a rocket at the southern Israel coastal town of Ashkelon.
There were no reports of casualties in the Israeli strike.
Saturday evening's terrorist rocket attack set off air raid sirens throughout south-western Israel. The rocket landed just short of Ashkelon, which has been hit numerous times by Gaza terrorists.
And again, Israel does whatever it can do in its power to target the guilty only, eliminating civilian casualties as much as possible. And yet, by and large, most of the Arab population hates Israel. It's not just the leaders who swear to drive the Jews into the sea, it's almost each and everyone. We talk about children where the hate gets fed with the mother's milk. What I can't understand, why is killing innocent Israeli men, women, and children acceptable but if Israel just fights back the perpetrators in order to survive it becomes a bash fest?
Indirect US-hosted peace talks begin
The Palestinian Authority on Sunday announced that indirect US-hosted peace negotiations with Israel had begun after Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and his top aides met with visiting US envoy George Mitchell.
"I can officially declare today that the proximity talks have begun," chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told reporters following the meeting.
Earlier in the day, Erekat insisted that the talks would pick up where negotiations with the previous Israeli government under former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had left off. Olmert is widely believed to have offered to divide Jerusalem and surrender nearly all of Judea and Samaria to the Palestinians.
On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the Palestinian Authority for finally resuming some sort of negotiating, but was adamant that no real progress could be made until the two sides engage in direct talks.
Netanyahu has been offering to restart direct peace negotiations for months, but has met with Palestinian refusal. The Palestinians, nevertheless, blame Netanyahu for the lack of progress due to what they call his extreme demands, such as having the Palestinians recognize Israel as the Jewish state.
This again is American audacity. Americans should gather at Capitol Hill by the millions and tell Obama that HE CAN'T DO THAT! We have no right.
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