US May Sanction Israel for Building on Bible Lands - CBN News

US May Sanction Israel for Building on Bible Lands

CBNNews.com

Friday, December 05, 2014

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JERUSALEM, Israel -- The United States is considering the possibility of taking "harsher measures" against Israel for building in Jerusalem and biblical Judea and Samaria, a report in the leftwing Ha'aretz daily said this week.

The report said (unnamed) senior Israeli officials said (unnamed) White House officials "held a classified discussion a few weeks ago about the possibility of taking active measures against the settlements."

Until now the United States has made do with condemnation of Israeli building in areas that are disputed between Israel and the Palestinians - areas the Palestinians want for a future state and the Bible promised to the Jewish people as an eternal inheritance.

The report appeared the same day the U.S. Congress reaffirmed Israel as a "strategic partner."

The House of Representatives unanimously approved the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 on Thursday, which expands defense and security, energy, research and development, business, water management, and academic cooperation. The Senate approved the bill earlier.

According to the Washington Free Beacon, neither The White House spokesperson nor the National Security Council would comment on the report.

The rightwing Arutz-7 website said commentators on Israel's right dismissed the report as "election propaganda." 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for early elections this week. It's no secret that Netanyahu and President Barack Obama don't get along. Some have wondered if the United States would try to influence Israeli elections.