I would like to know why the Obama Administration of the United States think they have any right to tell another country, especially Israel, that they cannot build settlements on their own land. This is totally ridiculous! I am so ashamed at what our government has been doing to Israel over the years. They have been a good friend and they have not received respect and support from the U.S. in a long time. Our country has no right to tell them what to do with their land because they have given up enough already and in doing so it has only given the Hamas a greater advantage in striking Israel with rockets.

1.In February 2006, Irish President Mary McAleese visited Saudi Arabia and condemned the publication of the Danish Mohammed cartoons, saying, “Muslims have every right to feel angry.” 2.As of January 1st, Ireland has enacted an atavistic law that makes “blasphemy” punishable by a fine of up to $35,000. It’s amazing that a civilized country in 2010 is deliberately putting in place laws from the Dark Ages.

(1) Repercussions to the Dollar will have a fall-out in turbulent times. (2) Israel can put to good use many devoted supporters within the American Public numbering into the millions.(3).When it comes to choosing a new President common sense and moral fibre will determine the value of a Democratic President.(3) . Will he ever get an invite to my Seder ?... I think my family would murder me ,(or him)!

It will happen very soon. Israel has no choice. bababama thinks a crisis with Israel will Iorastall the inevitable attack on the islamic republic of iran.. Bama doesn't want to get involved. I get it. but after iran mines the staights of hormuz and cuts off America's oil supply - Hello 'merica.

Shut up you freak of a republican! You stay in Tulsa and I'll stay in Los Angeles. How dare you say that Obama is not the American President? You are such a retard that I can’t fathom people like you..... You're not American, if you were you would not say idiotic things like this.... Even during Bush's term, as much as I did not support his policies in any way, he was my President and I would have defended him just because he was my president.....

Friedman repeats that Ramat Shlomo is in East Jerusalem 3 times in his piece. In fact, RS is on its own hill, wedged between the Jewish neighborhoods of French Hill, Ramat Eshkol and Ramot.

YES!!! THIS IS MY PAPER!!! We'll show those anti-Israel NYT-reading fools!!

Dude, Learn to read. Nowhere did he compare Obama to Hitler (other than your imagination, which might indicate the power of free association) Hitler was an existential threat to Jews, Obama is an existential threat to Israel. How is Obama antisemetic? - lets look at his close association with Farrakhan and Rev Wright. Is that close enough? Lets continue to look at his acceptance of Iran, Libya, and the Arab world in general. Their mission statement - the elimination of the zionist entity in the Middle East. Lets look at his policies of refusing to sell weapons to Israel, while stocking up the weapons supplies in the Arab world. Lets look at his policy towards Iran - a country calling to wipe out Israel. Havent seen many harsh actions come from Obama. Lets look at his policy against building in the occupied territory. This wasnt even a demand of the Arabs. This was solely invented by Obama to antagonize Israel. Quite honestly I think a strong Israel would go on the PR offensive against Obama, and warn the American people of the consequences of Obama's actions - A very unstable middle east with Israel left to act alone to maintain the safety of the western world.

Yes, "progressive" Ireland is spiralling down into the same kind of Islamic mess that we see in W. Europe. They are starting to have some real adventures with the Islamic mindset in recent years, and it's only the beginning for the Celts in Hibernia. I carry an Irish passport, but it will be a cold day in Hell before I would ever think about living & working in the Old Bog. Let the lads enjoy their ever-growing Islamic, parasite immigrants.

Rahm Emanuel, Obama's chief of staff once said, "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before." Obama needed to create a crisis as he has failed to get Netanyahu to cave to his demands. He knew that sending the ill-tempered, gaffe-prone Biden to Israel would inflame tensions. This provided Obama an opportunity to use the marxist Alinsky* tactic of "Pick the Target, Freeze It, Personalize It and Polarize It" to scapegoat Israel and whip up anger against the Jewish State. *At U of Chicago, Obama taught how to affect change using S. Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals."

If the Obama doesn't have the stones to deal with Israel, one or more of the Muslim countries will, and the consequences will be much worse.

:)))))))))))

It's no surprise to have a Christian (Rupert Murdoch) criticizing a Jew (Thomas Friedman), but a casual observer would think it odd that they both seem to be on the wrong side of the issue.

The crisis between the U.S. and Israel has not occured by accident and the "housing affair" is nothing more than a pretext for Hussein Obama to put Israel under pressure in order to put the pressure away from Iran. DONT FOOL YOURSELF, the by far most important foreign policy issue of the Obama gang is to prevent an Israeli attack on Irans illegal nuclear installations. To achieve this goal, these cowards will resort to all dirty tricks available. Friedman is nothing more than a sad idiot and must be ignored completely. Hussein Obama WANTS the Iranian nuclear bomb - he hates Israel - we all know it - Hussein Obama is the AGENT OF EVIL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In 1994, Israel asserted, and the PLO accepted, that construction would continue on existing Jewish settlements. For the next 15 years, negotiations were never stopped by that building. In January 2009, the Palestinian Authority (PA) stopped negotiations because Hamas attacked Israel from the Gaza Strip and Israel defended itself. Of course, Hamas is also the PA’s enemy and the PA would be delighted if Israel destroyed that group. But for public relations’ purposes, the PA had to pretend inter-Palestinian solidarity. Then came President Barack Obama who demanded a stop to all construction on settlements in 2009. Israel finally complied but announced that it would keep building in east Jerusalem. The United States accepted that arrangement and even highly praised Israel’s policy as a major concession. But the PA refused to return to negotiations. Why, because the construction offended it? No, because the PA’s radical forces don’t want to make a peace deal because they believe they can win total victory and destroy Israel. The more moderate forces are too weak to make a deal because of Hamas and their own radicals, though they also have some problems with mutual compromise. In September 2009, Obama announced that within two months there would be full and final peace negotiations in Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “yes”: PA leader Mahmoud Abbas said “no.” No Western media outlet said that the PA refusal to negotiate for—as of today—about 15 months shows that the PA doesn’t want peace. Yet they had no hesitation about saying that Israel doesn’t want peace (or at least maybe doesn’t) because Israel announced the building of apartments on the basis of a policy it has followed for 16 years, without serious complaint for most of that time. Abbas seized on the opportunity to declare that he wasn’t going to negotiate. Is he indignant? Upset? Does he feel betrayed? No, he’s delighted to have an excuse to do what he wants to do anyway: Not negotiate with Israel!

Thank HEAVEN for the WSJ's OpEd! It's about TIME a major media outlet in the US tell it like it is! How I and so many others desire MORE of WSJ's type of telling it like it REALLY is!!! Blessings!!!

It is completely unnecessary to continue building in the West Bank and (some) parts of East Jerusalem, and I believe it only hurts Israel both in the short run and in the long run (it makes peace less probable). HOWEVER!!! The US administration is actions will not achieve anything. They should put heavy presure on Netanyahu, but without making it public. The public humiliation of the Israeli government only pushes it to the corner where it may act impulsivel to appease its voters and it encourages the Arabs and in particulare the Palestinians to keep making unrealistic demands for just talking to the Israelis. In short - Obama is acting like an amateur. Too bad...

It is BEYOND time that USA told 'israel' they cannot treat the PALESTINIANS the way they do. ESPECIALLY UNDER OUR FINACIAL AID AND MILITARY WELFARE.

everyone get your bibles and go to...ZECHARIAH12:1-4

I grew very weary of the short memories of the peoples of the World... Not more than 10 yrs. ago was it??? I, indeed the World woke up one morning, and witness a site on the News... It was both heartrenching, and very frustrating to watch... Israel uprooting its own people... Its own settlers from their promised land, and giving it to Palestinians who hated their guts... Who only wanted the land to further attack Israel to drive them into the sea. Much has been said about Ariel Sharon... Israel's Lion, but I respected him, and was still very angry with his decision to uproot Jews (who by their very nature are overwhemingly peaceful) and give it to the Palestinians... I am from the United States, and for this administration, (which is so preoccupied with the "evils of America's past" to forget that we also have a land that was not ours, and have no intentions of every giving it back... So why are we telling another soverign nation what to do with land that was won in a war in which they were outmatched at the time, and also a war they did not ask for, nor could have initiated... Well did Joel prophecy about this time period... and it is very scary to see the Word of God fullfilled line by line..."Though the whole world be gathered against Israel, in that day it will become a burdinsome stone that would cut anyone who would try to remove it." that's not an exact quote, but it is the meaning none the less...

One word: Behavior

"BECAUSE HE'S A MUSLIM - DUH! What the heck did you expect? He's islam's man in the white house - period! " ___________________ How about Hillary, Joe, Rahm, David, Bubba and Dubya? Are they all Muslims, too?

"Shame on US Jews for having voted in this Obama creep for office. " +++++++ US Jews knew who Obama was before they cast their votes. Jews have a long history of acting against their own best interests. Netanyahu's a prime example.

obama is a traitor. is he ignorant of the fact that israel is the only country whose geographical boundary is mentioned in the scripture. Who are the real owners of America?

1) Too much time with insane liar Rashid Khalidi 2) US liberals actually take Chomsky and his ilk seriously, as though there really are smoky rooms all over the world where Jews instruct key politicians how to govern. Israel needs to take on those few liars who create fodder for Palestinian fantasies that Arafat was actually trying to get peace for them. It makes me sick, I wish I could debate any of these idiots, any time anywhere. Israel has truth on its side. Time to start gently but firmly getting the true narratives out, how Pal TV incites with lies as vicious as any the Nazis (who copied Islamic tactics) used

No it's from first hand knowledge of the IDF having dealt with them as part of UN observer missions for decades.