This obsession over Obama’s statements regarding settlement activity is getting ridiculous. This is not a new U.S. policy. Ceasing settlement growth (including natural growth), was a key tenet of the “Road Map” created by Bush in 2003.
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The fact that Obama is choosing to actively pressure Israel to stop settlement growth is a contrast with Bush. But the official U.S. policy with regard to settlements has remained unchanged. Even within Israel a majority of the population believes that settlement growth should be frozen, 53% to 43%.
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Obama’s stance on the issue is nearly identical to that of Tzipi Livni’s. Yet Charles states that he has an “obsessive denial of reality.” So 53% of Israelis are now separated from the reality in their own nation, according to the United States punditry? That’s rich.