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The Real Obstacle to Peace
(Commentary) Jonathan S. Tobin - Building in Jerusalem as well as in the E1 area wouldn't prevent a two-state solution were the Palestinians inclined to negotiate with Israel to get one. The building within Jerusalem's city limits in Jewish neighborhoods that were built decades ago, such as Ramat Shlomo and Gilo, are in places that no one envisions being given to the Palestinians even in the most generous offer possible. The same is true of the new Givat Hamatos project. As for the E1 area in between the city and the suburb of Ma'ale Adumim, it, too, is in an area that Israel has always intended to keep. The Europeans know very well that it wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference to a two-state solution if Israel built 100,000 new homes in these places or none at all. These countries continue to ignore the fact that it is the Palestinians who refuse to negotiate. Were Israel building new towns deep inside the West Bank, it could be credibly argued that such plans would prevent the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank. But why would that be true of building in existing Jewish neighborhoods? The problem here is not just that what Israel is doing is no obstacle to peace. It is that by joining in condemnations of building inside Jerusalem, President Obama and the Europeans are encouraging the Palestinians to believe that they will someday force the Jewish state to give up not just the West Bank but its capital too.