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Source: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Article.aspx?id=171770
Are Jerusalem's Jewish Neighborhoods "Settlements"?
(Jerusalem Post) Daniel Gordis - The real cause for the nadir in Washington-Jerusalem relations is the fact that Barack Obama seems to have little comprehension of the region on which he seeks to impose peace. He seems unaware of how profoundly troubled Israelis are by his indiscriminate use of the word "settlement," he appears to have little comprehension of the history of Palestinian recalcitrance, and he has apparently learned little from decades of American involvement in the Middle East peace process. Gilo, to Israelis, is a huge neighborhood of Jerusalem. When Obama in November called Gilo a settlement, Israelis drew the conclusion that the president of the United States is wholly out of his element. When the president demands an absolute freeze on construction to appease the very Palestinians who have never been serious about peace efforts, he does not win friends. The writer is senior vice president of the Shalem Center in Jerusalem.