Berkley, ADL push back on U.S. criticism of Israel

[editor]

Berkley, ADL push back on U.S. criticism of Israel

Jewish Telegraphic Agency
March 13, 2010

WASHINGTON (JTA) -- A Republican leader, a Democratic Jewish congresswoman and the Anti-Defamation League pushed back against the Obama administration's continuing rebukes of Israel for its settlement announcement last week.

U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) and the ADL described the State Department's tough criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an "overreaction" -- Berkley said it was an "irresponsible overreaction" and the ADL said it was a "gross overreaction."

A spokesman for Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), the U.S. House of Representatives minority leader, told Commentary magazine that "the tone and substance we are seeing emerge as a pattern for this Administration are both disappointing and of great concern."

The controversy, which shows no sign of abating, started last week when a planning committee announced plans for 1,600 new housing units in disputed eastern Jerusalem during a visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden aimed at reassuring Israelis of the Obama administration's unflagging support. Biden delivered his speech lauding the U.S.-Israel relationship as planned, but tempered it with condemnation of the housing starts.

Netanyahu apologized for the announcement's timing, saying he was not aware of it before it occurred.

Israeli officials thought that put the matter to rest, but last Friday, P.J. Crowley, the State Department spokesman, opened the daily press briefing with an unprompted and unusually blunt rebuke of Israel. He said that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had spoken to Netanyahu for 45 minutes to say that "the United States considers the announcement a deeply negative signal about Israel’s approach to the bilateral relationship and counter to the spirit of the Vice President’s trip; and to reinforce that this action had undermined trust and confidence in the peace process, and in America’s interests."

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Full article: http://www.jta.org/news/articl.....-of-israel