US and Israel in cahoots as September approaches

US and Israel in cahoots as September approaches   Despite pressure on the Palestinian Authority a PLO Executive Committee Member, Saeb Erekat, recently denied news of Palestinian deferment and asserted that the PA is proceeding with its plans for full membership in the United Nations in September.
As September approaches the United States and Israel are increasing their coordinated efforts to block this Palestinian step.
Two of the three local dailies highlighted this issue on their front page. The main headlines in Al-Quds and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida touched on a telephone conversation between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which both leaders sent warnings to the Palestinians against approaching the UN in September.
“Netanyahu: Peace chances will diminish if the UN recognizes the Palestinian state in September,” was the main headline in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida. “Israel, US warn Palestinians against proceeding with plans to approach the UN in September,” said the main headline in Al-Quds.
Al-Ayyam chose to ignore this subject, even though it did have a story lower down on the front page about Netanyahu’s warnings after his meeting with the US Congressional delegation visiting Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
The main headline in Al-Ayyam related to the Palestinian cabinet meeting and its statements  following its Tuesday session, regarding steps to eliminate reliance on foreign aid to finance recurrent expenditure.
Israeli Finance Minister, Yuval Steinitz, Wednesday called for Israel to withhold tax revenues which it collects on the Palestinian Authority\'s behalf, to pressure President Mahmoud Abbas to back down from seeking full membeership in the United Nations full in September, said Haaretz newspaper
Steinitz said due to the Palestinian Authority\'s financial crisis and inability to pay its public employees, withholding Palestinian tax money may lead to a Palestinian deferment.
According to Haaretz, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak objected to Steinitz\'s suggestion and cautioned against damaging results that could lead to the PA\'s collapse and anarchy within Palestinian Territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with his senior ministers on Wednesday to discuss Israeli measures to deal with the Palestinian efforts to gain UN recognition of a Palestinian state within 1967 borders in September. And a senior western diplomat warned that the US will suspend its aid to the PA if it continues with its plans to head to the UN in September.
Al-Ayyam and Al-Quds also had a story from Jordan quoting a Fatah leader and representative in the reconciliation talks with Hamas, Azzam Al-Ahmad, as giving members of the Palestinian National Council a progress report on the last Fatah-Hamas meeting in Cairo.
Al-Ahmad said the two sides agreed on many points, mainly the release of prisoners held by both sides before the end of this month, issuing passports for Gaza residents, Hamas ending the ban on travel for those wishing to leave the Strip, and a broad meeting for all the factions in Ramallah in two weeks to discuss how to deal with issues caused by the four-year split between the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reported on statements made by incarcerated Fatah leader Marwan Barghouthi who told the Egyptian Middle East News Agency (MENA), through his lawyer, that a US veto in the UN Security Council against a Palestinian state would provoke widespread and violent protests and would end the US role in the region.
Meanwhile Israel continues to expand settlements within Palestine in July, dozens of Israelis moved out of their homes to live in the streets and start what is known as the tent city in Tel Aviv, protesting high rent and housing prices.
The protests spread across several Israeli cities. In response, Israeli Knesset members and politicians called for solving the crisis by building and expanding settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Thursday, Israeli Interior Minister, Eli Yishai gave final authorization to build 1600 housing units in Ramat Shlomo settlement in East Jerusalem,and is due to approve another 2700 housing units in Givat Zeev and Tel al-Ta\'era settlements in East Jerusalem within the next few days in order to help solve the current high rent and housing crisis in Israel.
According to sources, such quick measures in issuing building permits are in line with the new Israeli Construction Law that reduces bureaucracy to a minimum among construction and building committees.
In related news,Wednesday Israeli soldiers injured three Palestinians and arrested 10 foreign activists, participating in protests against the Apartheid Wall and Israeli settlements in al-Walja, a village northwest of Bethlehem, according to a member of the Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlement in the village of Al-Walja, Ala Al-Draas.
He added that Israeli soldiers arrested 10 activists, chased protesters in the village’s streets and alleys, fired rubber bullets and tear gas bombs at protesters, injuring three Palestinians, as well as raided and ransacked several houses.