Land before Peace: Israel Threatens to Demolish Palestinian Homes in East Jerusalem

A United Nations report, released Friday, has found that up to 60,000 Palestinians are at risk of eviction in East Jerusalem.

The legal pretext for the demolition of up to 1/4 of the Palestinian homes is that they have been built without permits. Behind that claim, however, is the broader issue: up to 1250 new houses are needed each year to accommodate the population growth of Palestinians, but the number of permits issues has remained at about 100 to 150 per year.

Between 2000 and 2008, the Israelis have only razed 75 houses a year, but with the accession of the new Government of Benjamin Netanyahu, there are concerns that either the national or municipal governments might expand the demolitions. The official line of the city's mayor is that he is “committed to addressing the issue of affordable housing throughout the entirety of Jerusalem,” but this should be placed beside the cold numbers of land distribution: only 13 percent of East Jerusalem is zoned by the Israeli authorities for Palestinian construction, while a third has been reserved for Israeli properties (22 percent is zoned for green areas and public infrastructure and 30 percent remains “unplanned").

In March, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned the Israelis that threatened demolitions are “not in keeping with the obligations entered into under the ‘road map'" for an Israeli-Palestinian settlement.

Further information on the status of Palestinians in East Jerusalem can be found at the B'Tselem website.

Podcast Special: George Lipsitz on America's "Bitter but Beautiful Struggle"

For decades, Professor George Lipsitz has been at the forefront of academic debates over "American Studies", from the place of music, television, and film in American society to the continuing importance of "class" in the US to the nature and importance of protest.

Two weeks ago, Lipsitz delivered a powerful lecture, drawing from historical reminders and the change brought by the Obama Presidency to consider "The Bitter But Beautiful Struggle: Why American Studies Matters Now". Thanks to our partners, The Journal of American Studies, the talk is now on-line.

For both academic specialists and general viewers of the US, we think this is a timely and important presentation, in line with Enduring America's mission of "engaging with the notion of America".

Listen to podcast....

Video: Clinton Warns Iran, China, Latin America at State Department Town Hall Meeting

Full Video of Hillary Clinton Speech to State Department Town Hall Meeting

Earlier this week, it was "engaging" Hillary, setting out the American desire to work with partners and negotiate with former foes. On Thursday, it was "power politics" Hillary, making sure leaders such as Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai knew where they stood with Washington. And on Friday, it was "get tough" Hillary, strapping on her shoulder pads for a contest with Beijing and Tehran in Latin America.

Secretary of State Clinton told a meeting of State Department officers:

What we are doing hasn't worked very well and in fact, if you look at the gains, particularly in Latin American, that Iran is making and China is making, it is quite disturbing.

Of course, there will be political and economic competition, even between the closest of allies, but Clinton whipped out some Cold War memories to warn of a new Axis of Challenge:

We are looking at how to deal with [Nicaraguan President Daniel] Ortega. The Iranians are building a huge embassy in Managua. You can only imagine what it's for.

This seems to be a bit of posturing, balancing President Obama's recent appearance at the Summit of the Americas, but it does raise the question: if Washington wants to frame relations with Latin America as a battle with outside powers, how exactly does it propose to wage the political contest?

May Day, May Day: The Strains in US-Russian Relations

Miriam Elder of Global Post notes the expulsion of two Russian diplomats by NATO on spying charges and Moscow's treaties with separatist regions to consider the consequences for relations between Moscow and Washington:

Russia and the West have a very bad day

MOSCOW — It was meant to be a day of fresh starts, as officials from Russia and NATO sat down for their first formal talks since breaking off relations last summer in the midst of the Georgia war.

Instead, NATO expelled two top Russian diplomats after accusing them of spying and Russia signed a treaty strengthening its ties with the separatist regions at the center of the controversial war. Are Russia’s relations with the West doomed to fail?

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Swine Flu Gonna Get You: US Government Warnings from 1976

So what's your favourite portent of doom? "Swine Flu? Man, I ain't gonna let it catch me!" or....

"Joe brought it home from the office (and he looks really creepy with that moustache)"

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_qJ2tOY7ss[/youtube]