Building a house in Jerusalem

The original for this is on tinsc's blog. He doesn't blog often, but when he does, he does it extremely well.

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Why is it that I can't build a house in Jerusalem? I'm Jewish! Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish People.

Nobody questioned whether a black man could move into the White House, the capital of the United States. Certainly not Jewish-Americans, 77% of whom voted for Barack O'Bama to be our President.

So why does this administration have such a problem with Jews building homes in Jerusalem and moving to the eternal capital of the Jewish People? Archaeological evidence shows that Jews founded Jerusalem 3000 years ago. Our liturgy mentions Jerusalem early and often as the capital of our people. It's only natural for Jews to live in Jerusalem.

I don't get it! Certainly in the history of mankind, far more cruel acts against humanity have been perpetrated than the mere building of houses. And let's face it! If someone said that blacks couldn't build homes in a neighborhood where they wanted, we'd hear a never-ending complaint of "racism" consistent with the American movement against segregation. That would be the morally correct position; one I would strongly support.

But for some reason, when Jews build homes in Jerusalem, it's a big federal case. Anti-Semitic Arabs get upset and our State Department thinks that this means that the Jews are causing a problem. This is an embrace of anti-Semitism by our State Department. I have a problem with that.

Even if someone were to say that Arabs have a sovereign right to forbid Jews to build houses in their country, it would be no less anti-Semitic. Why does the United States government embrace this attitude?

It is wrong; morally wrong. I would like the government of the United States to change it's policy to reflect our own American values that says people can build houses where they want to.

If the United States State Department felt insulted by Israel building homes in Jerusalem, let me make it clear that I feel no less insulted by the United State State Department when they tell me that I can't build a house in Jerusalem because I'm Jewish.