Biden in Israel: Day 3

So, does that mean you support the division of Jerusalem as well?

Has Biden apologized to Israel for condeming building within its capital city? It would be like having someone object to the United States building in Georgetown or stating that San Francisco is a Mexican city.

Your e-mail said, “While it’s important to note that the Interior Minister apologized to the Vice President, it’s also important to place this issue in historical context.”

The historical context is this: East Jerusalem was ethnically cleansed of Jews in ‘48, together with everywhere else east of the Green Line. Having done that, the Palestinian Arabs and the Jordanian army proceeded to desecrate and/or destroy every synagogue, yeshiva, cemetery, and Jewish holy place to which they had access.

Israel has done a miserable job of getting these facts, and the supporting documentation and photographs, in front of the media. Joe Biden’s statement was a perfect opportunity to do so. Instead, Israel apologized.

There is nothing to be gained by being coy and evasive: Through their actions between 1948 and 1967, when they controlled East Jerusalem, the Palestinians forfeited any right to have that control returned to them.

By the way, you say that “the Palestinian Authority (PA) cancelled a memorial ceremony for a terrorist who murdered Israelis along the Haifa-Tel Aviv Highway in 1978.” My understanding—correct me if I’m wrong—is that they are still going to name the traffic circle after her.

East Jerusalem was ethnically cleansed of Jews in ‘48, together with everywhere else east of the Green Line. Having done that, the Palestinian Arabs and the Jordanian army proceeded to desecrate and/or destroy every synagogue, yeshiva, cemetery, and Jewish holy place to which they had access. No Palestinian spokesperson has yet come forward to say, “Hey, our bad. But of course we would never, ever do anything like that again.”

Israel has done a miserable job of getting these facts, and the supporting documentation and photographs, in front of the media. Joe Biden’s statement was a perfect opportunity to do so. Instead, Israel apologized.

There is nothing to be gained by being coy and evasive: Through their actions between 1948 and 1967, when they controlled East Jerusalem, the Palestinians forfeited any right to have that control returned to them.