- 16 sept 2010
F-35 stealth planes on their way to Israel
Ministerial committee led by Netanyahu, Barak authorizes purchase of most advanced fighter jet in world at cost of NIS 10 billion. First plane to 'make aliyah' in 2015.
A ministerial committee headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak authorized the purchase of 20 F-35 stealth fighter jets on Thursday.
"Procuring the most advanced fighter jet in the world is a significant step towards bolstering the State of Israel's military capability," said Netanyahu.
The decision to purchase the fighter jets for about NIS 10 billion ($2.66 billion) was preceded by a series of long discussions. Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi and Air Force Commander Ido Nehushtan participated in Thursday's meeting.
The plane is slated to become operational by 2015, but Israeli pilots will be able to train on them much prior to this in the US.
The F-35 fighter is considered the most advanced fighter jet today.
The main hurdle to signing the deal was its steep price as well as the costs associated with integrating Israeli systems on it. Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz demanded that an additional discussion be held on the matter, but the decision was ultimately made by the ministerial committee.
After receiving the go ahead for acquiring the fighter jets, Defense Minister Barak expressed his hopes that the F-35 will help Israeli maintain its aerial superiority and technological advantage in the region, perhaps even in a face off with Iran.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3955431,00.html 20 mar 2012, 22:34 , Respect -
Maria 20 sept 2010
Barak: US will supply Israel with bunker busters
Defense minister to meet with top US security officials in DC; Jerusalem believes Washington will agree to supply Israel with advanced cruise missiles, bombs designed to penetrate underground facilities.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak is visiting Washington once again ahead of planned meetings with top security officials in the American administration.
Barak is expected to meet several top ranking officials Monday in order to secure new and advanced weaponry for Israel, especially in view of the latest arms deals in the Middle East.
The recent Russian ballistic missile sale to Syria and the arms deal between the US and Saudi Arabia, have Israel seeking to widen the technological gap in warfare between the IDF and Arab militaries.
Jerusalem is optimistic and believes Washington will agree to meet previously declined demands for advanced weaponry, such as "bunker busters" – bombs which are designed to penetrate hardened undergound targets – such as bunkers, as implied by their name – as well as advanced cruise missiles.
Such explosives may one day be used in a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.
Those close to the defense minister stressed that Israel's defense ties with the US "are at their height," adding that Americans were "doing all they could to meet our demands."
Barak himself was quoted as telling close advisors that is was "crucial that Israel maintains its regional technological advances."
Monday will see Barak meet with US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, White House National Security Adviser James Jones and special adviser Dennis Ross.
Once in New York, Barak will meet with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Barak's people said that despite recent tensions between Israel and the US regarding the questions of settlement freeze and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the two countries remain close and friendly, especially on matters of defense, which Barak's people believe will now translate into meeting Israel's weaponry requests.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3956902,00.html 20 mar 2012, 22:34 , Respect -
Maria 20 mar 2012, 22:34 , Respect -
Maria 14 oct 2010
Russia, Israel sign $400mn drone deal
A file photo of an Israeli drone
Israel has signed a $400 million deal to sell unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Russia and provide it with assembly components and servicing for the spy planes.
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) said on Wednesday that it has signed a UAV contract with the Russian defense firm OPK Oboronprom, Ria Novosti news agency reports, quoting a statement posted on the company's website.
According to IAI, the deal will be implemented in 2011.
The three-year contract, estimated to reach $400 million in worth, was inked in the presence of the Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Viktor Khristenko.
An Israeli defense industry official said the agreement signed in Israel on Tuesday allows for the drones to be assembled in Russia, the Israeli daily Ha'aretz said on its website.
The deal is not the first military pact between Tel Aviv and Moscow, which is seeking to upgrade its combat and reconnaissance aircraft equipment by signing contracts with European companies and Israel.
Under another $50 million deal with Russia in April 2009, Israel delivered two Bird Eye 400 systems, eight I View MK150 tactical UAVs and two Searcher Mk II multi-mission UAVs.
A second contract, worth $100 million, was also signed for the purchase of 36 UAVs, which is to be delivered later this year.
Additionally, Russia and Israel have been negotiating to establish a joint $300 million venture to produce UAVs.
In September, Israel threatened to revoke much of the UAV deals it had signed with Russia over Moscow's decision to supply Yakhont naval missiles to Syria.
http://www.presstv.com/detail/146639.html 20 mar 2012, 22:34 , Respect -
Maria 20 mar 2012, 22:34 , Respect -
Maria 3 nov 2010
Israel's Bouncing Bullets
(0:26) Um el Fahem clashes - 27/10/2010
In this week's clashes in Umm al Fahm, Sky cameraman Pete Milnes got this shot of a new weapon in the Israeli paramilitary police armoury.
Look closely at the police line towards the left to spot it. A bouncing rubber ball bullet hurtles towards the stone throwers. It is a rubber plastic ball. They are coloured blue and fired up in the air making them hard to see coming with the sky behind. Plenty of top spin guarantees they come back down to Earth, bounce and then into the target, in this case an Israeli Arab youth who yowls in pain.
Israeli riot police with bouncing bullet bandolier
They are fired at a relatively low velocity but hurt like hell when they hit you. Colleagues who have also been hit while trying to cover clashes say they are disconcerting because the seem to come from nowhere and leave a bruise and a stinging agony.
Not to be confused with what Brits call rubber bullets, thick rounds of plastic fired from guns and not plastic bullets either which are plastic coated steel projectiles.
The Israeli police tell me they are non lethal and non penetrative. You wouldn't want one in the eye though.
http://bit.ly/dnAHCh 20 mar 2012, 22:34 , Respect -
Maria 7 nov 2010
JP: USA supplying Israel with smart bombs
WASHINGTON, (PIC)-- The Israeli air force is to receive soon the first batch of American-made precision-guided bombs that would noticeably boost its ability to shell specific targets, the Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday.
The English-language paper said that the Israeli air force would be the first air force outside the USA to be supplied with the Small Diameter Bombs (SDB), which are made by Boeing, and has a highly destructive potential.
The American Congress sanctioned a deal in 2008 to supply Israel with one thousand GBU-39 smart bombs to the tune of 77 million dollars.
The 110 kilometers range bombs are called bunker-busters and could penetrate up to 90 centimeters of solid cement.
The bombs can be carried on F-15 jets, which can carry 20 bombs each turning this kind of warplanes into a "killing machine" as some security officials described it.
http://bit.ly/9fGkP5
IAF receives first batch of Small Diameter Bombs
The Israel Air Force has significantly boosted its precisionstrike capabilities with the recent arrival of the first batch of GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs (SDB) from the United States.
The 250-lb. (113.6-kg.) bomb was developed by Boeing Company as a low-cost weapon capable of high-precision and low-collateral damage strikes. Israel received approval from Congress in late 2008 to buy 1,000 units.
Israel is the first country outside of the United States to receive the weapon.
The IAF has named the new bomb Sharp Hail. The total cost of the deal was $77 million.
The GPS-guided SDB is said to be one of the most accurate bombs in the world. It has the same penetration capabilities as a normal 900-kg. bomb, although it has only 22.7 kg. of explosives. At just 1.75 meters long, its small size increases the number of bombs an aircraft can carry and the number of targets it can attack in a sortie.
Tests conducted in the US have proven that the bomb can penetrate at least 90 cm. of steel-reinforced concrete.
The GBU-39 can be used in adverse weather and has a standoff range of more than 110 km. due to its pop-out wings.
This enables aircraft to attack more targets per sortie, since each weapon's station can carry four bombs.
The first planes to have the GBU-39 are the IAF's F- 15Is which can carry around 20 of the bombs on its wings and fuselage, turning the aircraft into what defense officials termed a killing machine.
The new weaponry is slated to become operational within the IAF in the future and it is possible that the air force will decide, at a later stage, to upgrade its fleet of F-16Is so they too can carry the bombs.
Israel will receive its first shipment of Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits, which can be installed on existing bombs to increase their ability to hit moving targets.
The JDAM is a low-cost guidance kit that converts existing unguided free-fall bombs into accurately guided smart weapons. The JDAM kit consists of a tail section that contains a Global Positioning System (GPS) and body improvements for additional stability and lift.
The newer version of the JDAM adds a laser seeker to the nose of a JDAM-equipped bomb, which improves its ability to hit moving targets with greater accuracy.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=194285
20 mar 2012, 22:36 , Respect -
Maria 11 nov 2010
US to boost military aid to Israel
Washington will increase its military aid to Israel over the next two years.
The United States has planned to expand its military aid to the Israeli regime over the next two years, adding smart bombs to the new supply list.
US Congress approved a boost of $400 million worth of additional military equipment for Tel Aviv last month, Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported on Thursday.
The fresh aid package will bring the value of American military equipment stockpiled in Israel to $1.2 billion by 2012.
The type of equipment stockpiled in Israel is determined through dialogue between the Israeli military and the US Army's European Command.
It is believed that a great deal of the equipment will include precision weapons launched from air, according to the Israeli papaer.
Israeli Army Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said earlier this week that Tel Aviv would need 'much more precision weaponry' for future wars.
The agreement between Washington and Tel Aviv includes conditions under which the Israeli military may use what is officially labeled as US equipment. This has led to speculations as to whether the US military stockpiles in Israel are in fact meant for the Israeli regime.
Meanwhile, a new report has revealed that Israel planned a military confrontation against Lebanon. An unnamed French official told Lebanese daily As-Safir on Wednesday that he was informed about the plan during his Middle East tour four weeks ago.
The French official said Israeli sources told him that they have completed their military and civil preparations over the past month and that the infrastructure and the settlements adjacent to the border with Lebanon were now ready to confront the prospect of war at any moment.
Israel suffered a crushing defeat after invading Lebanon in the summer of 2006 and was forced to leave the region without achieving any of its objectives.
The war claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Lebanese -- mainly civilians.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/150517.html
20 mar 2012, 22:36 , Respect -
Maria 14 nov 2010
US government offers Israel $3 billion weapons deal in exchange for 3-month settlement freeze
After US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with the Israeli Prime Minister on Friday, the US set out an offer of additional military assistance to Israel in exchange for a 90-day moratorium on new settlement construction in the West Bank. Construction already in progress on hundreds of units of housing would be allowed to continue during the 'moratorium', which also does not include East Jerusalem.
Some Palestinian analysts say the US offer is weak, as it does not pressure Israel in any way to adhere to past signed agreements or international law, but merely forestalls the inevitable failure of 'peace talks' between two vastly unequal players. Some have even suggested that this is an attempt by the US to bribe Israel to do what it is required to do under international law.
Since the 'moratorium' would not include East Jerusalem, where the majority of current construction of Israeli-only homes and displacement of indigenous Palestinian residents is taking place, some Palestinians feel that it is only a token gesture that does not in any way address their concerns.
In exchange for the temporary, partial moratorium on construction, the Israeli military would receive a gift of 20 F35 fighter jets, worth $3 billion, from the US. The US-made jets that Israel already has have been used for aerial bombardment of Palestinian civilian areas in violation of international law, and to drop missiles on Palestinians that Israel claims are 'wanted' for crimes against Israelis but instead of being tried and convicted, they are extrajudicially assassinated by missiles, in violation of international law.
The US government also promised Israel that after the 90-day moratorium, they would not seek an extension, and settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem (all of which is illegal under international law) could continue unabated.
This offer is an attempt by the US to get Israel to return to the negotiating table, after their refusal to renew a moratorium on new settlement construction resulted in a breakdown of talks with the unelected branch of the Palestinian Authority led by the Fateh party.
All settlement construction by Israel in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, to which Israel is a signatory. The Convention prevents the transfer of civilian populations onto land that was seized by military force. The land in question is Palestinian land that was seized by Israel in 1967, and has been occupied by the Israeli military ever since.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59904
20 mar 2012, 22:36 , Respect -
Maria 28 nov 2010
Pocket ultrasound bleeding to save IDF lives
Device the size of a mobile phone locates internal bleeding quickly and noninvasively to be used by IDF behind enemy lines.
It is the size of a mobile phone and can fit in your pocket. But instead of being used to make phone calls, it can save your life by locating internal bleeding quickly and noninvasively.
Called Vscan and manufactured by General Electric, this device, which closely resembles Motorola's Razr model cellular phone, is a miniature and portable ultrasound machine that the IDF Medical Corps recently decided to purchase and distribute to special forces that operate far from Israel, behind enemy lines.
The ultrasound device weighs just 390 grams and comes with a display unit and a small probe that is used to inspect a body. It features a color-coded overlay that shows real-time blood flow, and has a battery that lasts one hour.
Each unit costs tens of thousands of dollars.
The Medical Corps began searching for a miniature ultrasound device after a request was issued by a number of elite IDF units. The units, which operate covertly in enemy territory, do not have the luxury of having medical teams waiting nearby in case soldiers are wounded, and therefore have to rely on themselves and the equipment they carry.
This gives units the ability to independently treat wounded, Maj. Guy Lakovsky, from the Medical Corps research-and-development division, explained on Thursday. If there is a soldier wounded and you need to find internal bleeding, this gives you the ability to do so quickly and without random cutting into a body.
Regular battalions operate together with medical teams that usually move slightly behind the combat teams but are accessible in case of an emergency.
Buying the new ultrasound machines fits into the general trend in the IDF Medical Corps, which has been focused in recent years on developing and procuring small lightweight systems that can easily be carried into a battle zone.
In January, the Medical Corps began equipping combat battalions with compact battlefield respirators that can be used to resuscitate soldiers wounded in the field.
Until then, due to their weight and large size, respirators were not deployed on the front lines, but instead were reserved for medical teams at field hospitals in the rear.
In comparison to the brigade-level respirator, the new machine weighs 3.5 kg., can also be connected to a standardized gas-mask filter in the event of a chemical or biological attack, and comes with an eight-hour battery pack.
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=196998
20 mar 2012, 22:36 , Respect -
Maria 1 dec 2010
Israeli firms see a global market for their anti-terrorism know-how
The nation is moving aggressively to turn domestic security technology into one of its biggest exports.
As he inspected the Taj Mahal hotel after the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, and listened to a hotel manager bemoan the lack of adequate security preparations, Israeli export official Avi Hefetz saw a growth market in the making.
"I thought to myself, if we have the state-of-the-art technology, the defense know-how and our considerable experience gained throughout the intifadas, why not organize a platform for displaying our technologies in this field?" he said.
"We might be a small country, but we're not small in this business," said Hefetz, director of the Israel Export & International Cooperation Institute, a quasi-government business promotion group that this month organized the Homeland Security Conference, Israel's first expo for domestic security providers.
As the threat of terrorism spreads, Israel has moved aggressively to turn domestic security technology into one of its biggest exports.
More than 400 Israeli companies export about $1.5 billion annually in domestic security goods and technology, including biometric devices, tear gas canisters, anti-intrusion systems, airport screening machines, explosives detectors and remote-controlled vehicles.
Israel's share of the $175-billion global domestic security market is less than 1%, but government and industry officials think they can increase that tenfold by ramping up marketing and promotion. This year Israel sent a record nine trade delegations to India. When the president of Brazil's Olympic Committee visited Israel this month, he was received by President Shimon Peres, who touted his nation's security firms.
"Unfortunately, we have a name in this area all around the world because we are living these issues day in and day out," said Dani Werber, international marketing manager for IDO Security Inc., which makes MagShoe, a machine used in airports in Europe and Australia to detect weapons hidden in shoes without passengers having to remove their footwear.
"But it's not just a name, it's also the proven technology," Werber said. "Most of what Israeli companies sell is, again unfortunately, field-proven. Whether it's dealing with a suicide bomb or metal detection, things work."
Israel is focusing its efforts on Brazil, which could spend as much as $3 billion on security for the 2014 World Cup soccer tournament and the 2016 Summer Olympics, and on India, whose annual internal security budget in the government and corporate arenas now tops $1 billion, experts estimate.
Israeli-made 360-degree cameras have been installed on Indian oil rigs, and Mumbai government officials sent police officers to Israel for training after the 2008 terrorist attacks, Hefetz said.
The Israeli firm Magal Security Systems Ltd., which made its name with perimeter-intrusion systems along Israel's tense borders with Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, is installing its wares at 11 airports in China.
Nice Systems, an Israeli company that sells data-analysis and surveillance systems, counts among its customers the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, Bank of America and the New York City Police Department.
"Israel's domestic market is tiny," said Alon Slonim, vice president for international marketing at Ispra, which manufactures tear gas and other riot gear. "The only way to grow is to export."
Competing with mass-producing firms in nations such as the United States and China is challenging, Slonim said, so Israeli companies need to be creative to stand out.
For example, based on Israel's experience in dealing with Palestinian protests and uprisings against Israel's occupation of the West Bank, Ispra designed tear gas canisters made of softer plastic to reduce the risk of injury if the projectiles hit demonstrators. The canisters are also designed to blow up shortly after they disperse their gas, to discourage protesters from picking them up and tossing them back at police.
Ispra was among dozens of Israeli firms presenting their products at the security expo in Tel Aviv, which drew mayors, police chiefs and security officials from around the world.
Among the offerings was document-scanning software from IntuView that not only translates Arabic text but also searches for key words and phrases, including names, dates and Koranic verses commonly cited by extremists, software engineer Amit Seker said. The U.S. Army has bought the software, he said.
WeCU Technologies Ltd., another Israeli start-up, presented its camera-monitored airport kiosks, designed to detect "malicious intent" of users by tracking facial expressions, stress levels, breath and heart rate and sweating in response to questions or images displayed on the screen.
Israel's experience in combating Palestinian extremists has made Israeli companies somewhat expert in guerrilla tactics, rocket attacks and suicide bombers, said Doron Havazelet, director of the new Homeland Security Institute at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
"The proximity of Israeli culture to Islamic culture produces a better understanding of the issues," he said. "Israel is a country that stood at this front line earlier than most others."
http://lat.ms/gptgJp 20 mar 2012, 22:36 , Respect -
Maria 1 dec 2010
Zionist weapons tested on Arabs then sold to the world
A disturbing piece in the LA Times that shows how Israel is profiting from marketing anti-terrorist gear. And Palestinians are guinea pigs:
As the threat of terrorism spreads, Israel has moved aggressively to turn domestic security technology into one of its biggest exports.
More than 400 Israeli companies export about $1.5 billion annually in domestic security goods and technology, including biometric devices, tear gas canisters, anti-intrusion systems, airport screening machines, explosives detectors and remote-controlled vehicles.
Israel's domestic market is tiny, said Alon Slonim, vice president for international marketing at Ispra, which manufactures tear gas and other riot gear. The only way to grow is to export.
Competing with mass-producing firms in nations such as the United States and China is challenging, Slonim said, so Israeli companies need to be creative to stand out.
For example, based on Israel's experience in dealing with Palestinian protests and uprisings against Israel's occupation of the West Bank, Ispra designed tear gas canisters made of softer plastic to reduce the risk of injury if the projectiles hit demonstrators. The canisters are also designed to blow up shortly after they disperse their gas, to discourage protesters from picking them up and tossing them back at police.
Then this quote is utterly offensive and isn't even countered by an alternative point of view. Note the not so subtle connection between extremism and Islam.
Israel's experience in combating Palestinian extremists has made Israeli companies somewhat expert in guerrilla tactics, rocket attacks and suicide bombers, said Doron Havazelet, director of the new Homeland Security Institute at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
The proximity of Israeli culture to Islamic culture produces a better understanding of the issues, he said. Israel is a country that stood at this front line earlier than most others.
http://bit.ly/iabP6u 20 mar 2012, 22:36 , Respect -
Maria (7:04) America: The Silence of a Nation. 1 x viewed 20 mar 2012, 22:36 , Respect -
Maria 15 dec 2010
Israel eying free US F-35 fighter jets
A F-35 fighter jet
Despite rejecting US calls for extending a partial settlement freeze on the occupied Palestinian territories, Israel is still looking to acquire another 20 US-built F-35 fighter jets free of charge.
Earlier in November, the United States offered Israel a package of incentives in return for stopping the expansion of Jewish settlements for 90 days in the occupied West Bank.
The offer included providing Israel with another 20 radar-evading Joint Strike Fighter jets worth USD 3 billion, vetoing or opposing any initiatives at the UN Security Council critical of Israel, and signing a comprehensive security agreement with Israel.
It was aimed at saving the new round of direct negotiations between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel.
Despite speculations that Israel's refusal to renew its partial settlement freeze has effectively taken the package of incentives offered by the US off the table, media reports suggest that Tel Aviv is still exploring ways to acquire an extra 20 stealth fighters.
Earlier in August, the US agreed to sell Israel 20 radar-evading Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets for more than USD 3 billion. The systems were due to be delivered by approximately 2016.
The deal made Israel the first buyer outside the aircraft's nine-nation co-development group.
"We ordered 20 F-35s, then, during the talks about freeze, the Americans put 20 additional plane on the table, a senior Israeli official told AFP on Wednesday, adding that Tel Aviv is not willing to pay for the additional 20 jets and is "trying to find another arrangement."
"It was discussed during the summer when the United States was talking about the USD 60 billion weapons deal with Saudi, in the context of the American policy of maintaining Israel's qualitative military edge. But nothing was settled. We will continue to discuss it", he added.
The new round of direct negotiations between Israel and the PA started in Washington in September after a 20-month hiatus.
However, the talks reached a deadlock shortly after re-launch over Tel Aviv's refusal to meet the Palestinian side's demand for extending the partial settlement freeze in the West Bank. Israel resumed its illegal construction work hours after the expiry of the 10-month moratorium.
Palestinians believe that the expansion of Jewish settlements on the occupied lands will reduce the likelihood of the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
http://www.presstv.com/detail/155649.html 20 mar 2012, 22:36 , Respect -
Maria 23 dec 2010
Israel still eyeing free F-35s
A F-35 fighter jetTEL AVIV, Israel, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Despite rebuffing U.S. calls for a partial settlement freeze on the occupied Palestinian territories, Israel is still hoping to acquire another 20 U.S.-built F-35 fighter jets free of charge.
The United States offered Israel a package of incentives last month in a bid to sway Tel Aviv to halt a contentious development project in the West Bank for 90 days.
The package included the supply of another 20 radar-evading Joint Strike Fighter jets, estimated at $3 billion. It also included diplomatic promises of blocking any initiative at the U.N. Security Council critical of Israel and the signing of a comprehensive security agreement with Israel.
Israel had already purchase a first tranche of F-35 last August.
Last week, though, Washington conceded that its efforts to salvage the peace process had failed, effectively scrapping the package that had been offered to Israel and dashing any prospect of direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
Israel's August purchase made the country the first buyer outside the aircraft's nine-nation group of developers. And even ahead of the building freeze proposal, Israel was eyeing more stealth fighters.
"We ordered 20 F-35s, then, during the talks about freeze, the Americans put 20 additional planes on the table," a senior Israeli official said, adding that Tel Aviv is not willing to pay for the additional 20 jets and is "trying to find another arrangement."
"It was discussed during the summer when the United States was talking about the $60 billion weapons deal with Saudi Arabia, in the context of the American policy of maintaining Israel's qualitative military edge. But nothing was settled. We will continue to discuss it," he added. Israel's acquisition of F-35 aircraft, made by Lockheed Martin, affords Israel access to stealth technology that provides the Jewish state with air superiority over hostile enemy anti-aircraft defenses.
Last week a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told the country's public radio that the government had not ruled out the possibility that Israel would not receive the F-35 combat planes, although the development freeze did not materialize.
The Palestinians have long argued that the continuation of Jewish settlements on the occupied territories of the West Bank would lessen the likelihood of the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Critics have sniped at Israel's move to reject the U.S. proposal.
"It wasn't such a great deal from the U.S. perspective, either, because it would only buy a three-month extension at $30 million a day with no guarantee the two parties wouldn't be back at square one at the end of it," The Washington Times wrote.
http://bit.ly/dSab7U