Mideast talks stall over phone snub, sources say

[Scurrilous]

Clinton seeks housing explanation; Netanyahu stays silent

<snip>

"The diplomatic rift between the United States and Israel appeared to widen Thursday over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's failure to call Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with an explanation of Israel's east Jerusalem building plan, U.S. sources say.

Last Friday, Clinton phoned Netanyahu to strongly criticize Israel's announcement of new Jewish housing in east Jerusalem during Vice President Joe Biden's trip to the region to promote indirect talks between Palestinians and Israelis.

Clinton requested answers from him on how Israel was planning to proceed. The State Department expected a response days ago and even announced that Netanyahu would call before Clinton left Washington at noon Wednesday for a previously scheduled trip to Russia.

However, in a sign of the fractured ties between the two governments, senior administration officials traveling on the overnight flight to Moscow with Clinton told NBC News' Andrea Mitchell that Netanyahu did not call."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35928291/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/

[Jefferson23]

1. Scurrilous, I couldn't find the remainder of the story at the link, even

after scrolling down a ways.

[Scurrilous]

2. Fixed it.

Thanks for the heads up. :thumbsup:

[Jefferson23]

3. Thanks.

snip* "As we've said, before we move ahead with further meetings, we would expect a call from Prime Minister Netanyahu. And what he tells us will inform what we do next," a senior official on Clinton's plane told NBC.

Looks like Bibi is OK with not returning calls. AIPAC's get together next week should be interesting.

[notadmblnd]

4. How bout the US government just forget to put the aid checks in the mail?

[Jefferson23]

5. I think that would prove tremendously contentious. Do you think

Obama would receive, given even if he wanted to, get support for such a measure from the Congress? I don't.

The Palestinians new best friend, and Obama's political cover, now rests with Petraeus. How Obama will utilize it, is anyones guess, but it is there for the taking.

[MUAD_DIB]

6. Or any millitary aid of any kind*

Yes, the Palestinians are firing rockets again into Israel and killed a foreign worker; Thai I believe.

Israel needs to stop the settlements and the Palestinians need to stop their bullshit too.