The Orthodox Union’s president, Stephen Savitsky, and its executive vice president, Rabbi Steve Weil, have issued a statement calling on the Obama administration to "make a conscious effort to move away from the kind of public statements it has directed at Israel over the past few days. These statements have escalated tensions between the two governments, which the Obama Administration must now de-escalate."
In what’s quickly becoming a standard tactic among pro-Israel groups, the O.U. is citing Vice President Biden in making its case:
The controversy which has arisen regarding Israel’s planning process for development in its capital city of Jerusalem in the form of the construction of 1600 new housing units in East Jerusalem at a future date was addressed during Vice President Biden’s trip by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s apology and Vice President Biden’s statement of understanding and recognition of the importance of a continuing close relationship.
As Vice President Biden said last week in Israel, “The cornerstone of the relationship is our absolute, total, unvarnished commitment to Israel’s security….progress occurs in the Middle East when everyone knows there is simply no space between the United States and Israel. There is no space between the United States and Israel when it comes to Israel’s security.”
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