US GOVERNMENT OPPOSES BUILDING JEWISH COMMUNITY IN JORDAN VALLEY

Another problem with the Dubya administration that may stem from the same mentality as what was spoken about in the previous topic is that they deny the right of Jews to live in the Jordan Valley. I can believe the European Union being against this, but when you see even the US administration doing that, you know something's wrong there too. From the Jerusalem Post (via Zionism and Israel News Archives):

Amid protests from the United States and the European Union, the Defense Ministry is reconsidering its approval of a new Jordan Valley community located over the Green Line, The Jerusalem Post learned on Sunday. The government and the Defense Ministry initially downplayed last week's decision to allow the construction of 30 homes for Gaza evacuees in Maskiot.

A government source told the Post then that the decision was merely "adjusting" the status of a plot of state land where settlement has been authorized since 1981. The small community, which is located off an isolated road in the Jordan Valley, has been populated on and off since 1982. Currently, it is home to a few permanent residents and a small pre-army academy that houses 50 Orthodox men in fewer than a dozen small white buildings.

The new homes would be constructed adjacent to the existing structures and would more than triple the number of structures on the site. But after the EU and the US said the initiative violated Israel's international commitments with respect to the West Bank, Defense Minister Amir Peretz decided to reconsider the decision, according to sources in the Defense Ministry. Discussions within the government are also taking place considering whether to go ahead with the project.

The EU and US mentioned "Israel's international commitments with respect to the West Bank". Let us be clear here. The only "commitment" involved here is the so-called road map, but the Arab side, that is, the "Palestinian Authority", was obliged to disarm all the militias in its zones or territory before Israel was obliged to do anything. The palestinian authority is far from disarming any militias and has openly said that it will not do so, and is probably incapable of doing so. Therefore, Israel is not bound by any "road map" obligations.

And putting aside for a moment that Peretz is a bad politician, should pro-Israeli citizens of America be tolerating this? If not, then you should contact the Dubya administration and the State Dept. about this at president@whitehouse.gov and secretary@state.gov.