Israel should stand up for itself like every other nation. If the author is scared to stand up for the capital of the country he lives in than he should not be surprised when the U.S. calls his house illegal. That will be the next step. Tel aviv will be an illegal settlement too.

If anyone is behaving poorly it is Obama. He acts like a spoiled rich kid who changes the rules of the game to suit himself and demands that everyone follow him or else he will take away the ball. Israel has every right to protect itself and act in its own best interest when its citizens are threaten by terrorist groups.

Either you believe that this Land belongs to Israel .the jews ,in which case we have not only the right but also the obligation to build here , or else you believe the palestinian narrative. We have as much right to build on out land as any other country. Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it.

IF YOU WANT ''ISRAEL FOREVER' then ISRAEL MUST have housing for its young married couples. FOREVER MEANS HAVING CHILDREN ,growing families, expanding existening homes,elderly parents may move in with their children, HAVING MORE BABIES. This is the way of LIFE. THE WAY OF DEATH IS WHAT THOSE OPPOSING TO HOMES BEING BUILT. ISRAEL needs double amount of apartments also due to the permitting the fake jews into THE LAND. Lets face the truth, truth always offends the bleeding heartr liberal destroyers of the world. you have almost one million fake russian chinese indian african jews. They found over 99 LOST TRIBES. MASHIACH IS THE ONE TO 'GATHER' THE ''''''JEWS'''''. not some local yokel GOING TO BORNEO FINDING WATUSI WARRIORS THAT WILL MOVE TO BROOKLYN ANYWAY. YES TRUTH IS CRUEL. SO IS SURVIVAL... TO FIND THE PATH TO DEATH IS RELATIVELY EASY....

1. Two Jewish journalists Ben-Dror mentions are left-of-center. 2. "...finding it difficult to understand its insistence on continuing the settlement enterprise." TRY HISTORIC & RELIGIOUS CONNECTION...then again is Israel prepared to put 600,000 Jews on Cattle-Cars?

This is pure "hogwash". The new construction that everyone is complaining about is in already established neighborhoods of Jerusalem---- I wouldn't call Jerusalem a "settlement". Ironic---Egypt evicts 800 families along the Egypt-Gaza border, blows up the Gazans homes and builds a security zone between Egypt and Gaza and NO ONE says "BOO". Israel allows its citizens to build more needed housing in already existing neighborhoods in their eternal capital (Jerusalem) and the world is in uproar. Makes no sense.

Obama is not Israels friend, when jews historically tried appeasing the enemy they ended up paying a very heavy price. STOP trying to think Hussain obama will love you, he hates Israel and many Jews in the US are starting to realize certain actions against them because they are Jews. Stop repeating the mistakes of your ancestors, speak up against your enemy dont try appeasing!

silly! if Israel leaders do as USA demands it acts as a child. US does not always act well. consider the mess they helped create in ME. might means power but not always right. and...US could spend more effort tasking Israel's neighbors.

If Israel is guilty of anything here, it is a failure to publicly announce its red lines. Israel should indicate that the areas in which it is building settlements are areas in which Israel will never, never give up.

The author is correct. Israelis have forgotten how to play the game. Instead, they like to bite the hand that feeds them. I'm an American and travel to all parts of the country on business. I can tell you speaking to others that it is becoming increasingly difficult to defend Israel's insistence on even halting building for a few months at the administrations request. Who cares about the reason? Does it represent an existential threat to Israel to halt building? No. Would it help ties with Israel's main ally? Yes. Duh! People are also quite sick of the lack of respect shown American leaders. They don't follow the conflict closely but just hear snippets and when they hear that Bibi is lecturing the President and others in his administration are calling American officials names, it doesn't sit well. Smarten up!

Are you crazy or just ridiculously naive?

Coward. Bootlicker. Insipid groveler. Your sorry tuchas should be kicked from one end of Israel to the other and then out the door where you can get a job with the Obama administration or John Kerry or some antisemitic organization which is in keeping with your pitiful ideology.

The author has no understanding of American politics and media. The New York Times is not anti Israel. You are mistaken. To criticize settlements, which threaten the future of Israel, is not being anti-Israel.

jerusalem is not a "settlement" and neither is any of its neighbourhoods. it is outrageous that a foreign country should tell jews where to live in their historic, ancient capital city. the arab muslims must not be rewarded for their imperialism with the holy city of david, seat of zion.

Still bewildered another leftist who believes that in the mad mad Middle East territory isn't important to defend yourself a country no more than 70 Kilometers wide at the most needs land to defend itself against the irrationality of the Middle East mentality leftist like Yemini might yet be the death of us all this is a mental illness . The people of Israel understand this finally the harm Yemini does is to the bewildered outside of Israel.

"Israel has every right to protect itself and act in its own best interest when its citizens are threaten by terrorist groups." No it doesn't -- until it ends its apartheid system. Give the Pals right to vote.

Its the U.S that needs to change its behavior. Senior officials slinging crass insults at the Israeli Prime Minister? Is that grown up? AND... Judea and Samaria is Jewish land, and Jerusalem is the Israeli capital. They have a right to build homes wherever they want. Regardless what the anti-semitic world thinks. This article is garbage!!

Just persist with your leftist views and very soon we shall see the demise of Yediot A'haronot

the cocktail party and classical music concert circuit and acting like an adult on the streets of a tough neighbourhood.

i do not like party or music concert so i avoid it but i can not avoid walking on streets so i act like an adult here on holy land

Why does Yemini find it difficult to understand what is truly simple? This is our land. So we build on it. Same as anyone can build on land they own. What could be simpler to understand?

it is not very simple -only if you think that you ar the on to buil and the one to destroy the others building and you are the only one on this land ///// own the act and own the time