Despite the Arab League's unpopular decision to support the Palestinian resumption of peace talks with Israel, the Netanyahu government Monday proved to the world yet again that peace is not on its agenda.
Hours before US Vice-President Joe Biden arrived in Israel to discuss peace, but also to listen in to Israel's concerns about Iran's nuclear programme, the Israeli defence ministry approved the construction of new colonies in the West Bank. Are the Palestinians expected to tolerate this aggressive and provocative attitude?
Every time the weakened US special envoy George Mitchell makes a breakthrough in terms of getting the two sides to agree to talk, Israel slaps another illegal expansionist colony project on everyone's faces, as if to say, now will you agree to sit down to talk to us?
Even more disturbing is the fact that Washington seems to have softened its stance on Israeli colony-building and expansion. Gone are the days when the US government used strong language to condemn Israel's colony activity and now, all we hear is that Israel is really committed to peace and Israel's security is "essential" to the US.
Biden is due to meet with the Palestinian leadership today. Unless he succeeded in putting pressure on Israel to drop its illegal colony plans, this visit will turn out to be another massive failure.
