Israeli press uncertain over potential crisis in Israeli-US relationship

Published today (updated) 23/07/2009 13:22
Netanyahu [Ma'anImages] Bethlehem - Ma’an/Agencies -

“There is no crisis in Israel-US relations [over Israeli settlements built illegally on Palestinian lands],” Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren told Israel Radio Wednesday.

The Hebrew and English daily Haaretz, however, did not seem to agree. Editors ran the story along with the statements of a “highly respected Tel Aviv think tank,” which predicted the “two countries could be on a ‘collision course’ unless Israel undertook practical measures to back up its statements that it wanted peace with the Palestinians.”

The speculation over troubles with the United States comes following the country’s official summons of Oren to the State Department over Israel’s refusal to halt progress on an East Jerusalem settlement.

The response to the summons saw Israeli officials declare undisputed sovereignty over Jerusalem, a declaration not recognized by the United Sates - which keeps its embassy to Israel in Tel Aviv - or any other nation or international body.

Oren called the dispute over the illegal settlement construction “disagreements over certain subjects, very, very specific," Haaretz said, and promised a resolution would come soon over the illegal settlement construction in the West Bank.

Separately the Jerusalem Post reported that senior Israeli occupation forces officials gathered in Tel Aviv on Tuesday night to discuss possible cuts or limitations on the 3 billion dollars in military aid it receives from the US each year. The newspaper said that the officials considered possible changes in the rules for how military aid is used, and the overall dollar figure.

The meeting took place hours before a State Department spokesman told reporters at a Washington briefing that it was “premature” to discuss financial pressures on Israel over settlements and other illegal activities.

The Post also said that Israeli diplomatic officials dismissed the possibility of US financial sanctions.

"This is nonsense," one official was quoted as saying. "This US administration believes in dialogue until the bitter end …there is no way that at the same time it wants to engage with the Iranians, it is going to take sanctions against Israel. It just doesn't make sense"

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