The president’s decision to speak as if this part of Jerusalem was a “settlement” where Jews had no right to live and build is not just a provocative escalation of the administration’s hostile attitude toward Israel. It also gives the Palestinian terrorists who made the apartment complexes in this neighborhood their personal shooting gallery throughout the second intifada an unexpected boost. Palestinian Authority–backed snipers based in the neighboring Arab village of Beit Jala regularly shot into Gilo during that conflict. Gilo also became more than just a middle-class Jerusalem neighborhood. It assumed the role of a symbol of Israeli tenacity and courage, and the area became a regular stop for visitors to the city.Obama and his staff are going way overboard already with their assaults on Jewish rights to their city, and it's going to run the risk of encouraging more Fatah/Hamas-based attacks on Jewish neighborhoods.
Here's more on the subject from Rick Richman and Evelyn Gordon.
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