(IsraelNN.com) The veteran United States-based Young Israel movement condemned U.S. Vice President Biden on Thursday, telling Biden to leave Jerusalem alone. The American vice president had condemned Israel's decision to allow Jews to build in historic Jerusalem, in an area that has been annexed by Israel but is claimed by the Palestinian Authority.
"We strongly 'condemn' Vice President Biden's statements and respectfully urge him to rescind his incendiary remarks about Jerusalem,” said Young Israel President Shlomo Mostofsky.
"The reality is that there is no such entity as 'East Jerusalem,' there is only Jerusalem, which is the united capital of Israel,” Mostofsky continued. “Only Israel can make determinations regarding Jerusalem's future expansion and development.”
Mostofsky compared the situation to construction of homes in the American capital. “It would be anathema for a Vice President to support a statute that banned any American from relocated to, or from building a home in, Washington D.C. Or any American community because the neighbors objected to their presence based solely on religion, ethnicity or origin,” he said. By expecting Jews to be banned from certain Jerusalem neighborhoods simply because they are Jewish, Biden 'ignored our American values of equality and justice,” he charged.
Biden made the mistake of giving the Palestinian Authority a false impression, said Mostofsky. Biden led the PA to believe that America would pressure Israel into negotiating the status of Jerusalem, he said, when in reality, Israelis overwhelmingly oppose putting Jerusalem on the table in talks with the PA.
"Instead of pandering to terrorists, the Vice President should have told the PA to amend its charter, stop preaching hatred in their schools and mosques, and immediately halt all plans for terrorist attacks,” Mostofsky suggested.
"We strongly 'condemn' Vice President Biden's statements and respectfully urge him to rescind his incendiary remarks about Jerusalem,” said Young Israel President Shlomo Mostofsky.
"The reality is that there is no such entity as 'East Jerusalem,' there is only Jerusalem, which is the united capital of Israel,” Mostofsky continued. “Only Israel can make determinations regarding Jerusalem's future expansion and development.”
Mostofsky compared the situation to construction of homes in the American capital. “It would be anathema for a Vice President to support a statute that banned any American from relocated to, or from building a home in, Washington D.C. Or any American community because the neighbors objected to their presence based solely on religion, ethnicity or origin,” he said. By expecting Jews to be banned from certain Jerusalem neighborhoods simply because they are Jewish, Biden 'ignored our American values of equality and justice,” he charged.
Biden made the mistake of giving the Palestinian Authority a false impression, said Mostofsky. Biden led the PA to believe that America would pressure Israel into negotiating the status of Jerusalem, he said, when in reality, Israelis overwhelmingly oppose putting Jerusalem on the table in talks with the PA.
"Instead of pandering to terrorists, the Vice President should have told the PA to amend its charter, stop preaching hatred in their schools and mosques, and immediately halt all plans for terrorist attacks,” Mostofsky suggested.