Who Thought This Was A Good Idea?

Given the ongoing violence spawned by conditions in Gaza after the incredibly stupid plan by the Hedgemony to eliminate Hamas by arming Fatah resulted in another Hamas victory and the sealing of the borders of Gaza, the BBC reports on the latest really stupid idea: Israel approves settlement growth

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has approved a plan to build up to 750 new homes in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank.

The project was first signed off in 1999, but stopped two years later after Palestinian labourers refused to go on.

Israel’s housing minister said the construction at Givat Zeev would address “the demographic needs of Jerusalem”.

But the decision provoked an angry reaction from Palestinian leaders.

For the Palestinians there are few issues as contentious as the building of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, says the BBC’s Crispin Thorold in Jerusalem.

Under the terms of the peace process settlement expansion is supposed to be frozen.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the latest decision raised doubts about Israel’s commitment to peace talks.

“It seems to me the Israelis are determined to put a stick in the wheel of negotiations,” he said.

Olmert managed to be in charge when the Israeli military got its butt kicked by Hezbollah because of Israeli hubris in ignoring Lebanon. He is not, and has never been, a vibrant leader – he is a plodder. He should stop playing prime minister and call an election. He allowed the Shas Party to push him into this because the 2006 election produced such muddled results.

The Knesset has 120 seats, the same as the Florida house if you want a really scary comparison, and Olmert’s party only has 36 of them. The Democrats have 42 seats in the Florida house or 35%, and everyone knows what that does for you. To stay in his job, Olmert had to make a deal with other parties to come up with 25 seats for a majority. He has to do stupid things to accommodate the other parties, and this is one of them.