Here is an unusual press release from the U.S. State Department, first noted by The Weekly Standard and later Arutz Sheva:
State’s Steinberg’s Visit to Israel, Jerusalem and West Bank
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
May 18, 2011
MEDIA NOTE
Deputy Secretary Steinberg’s Visit to Israel, Jerusalem and the West Bank
Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg visits Israel, Jerusalem and the West Bank May 18-19, 2011. In Israel, Deputy Secretary Steinberg met with Israeli academic and student leaders. In the West Bank, he met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian officials. Among other issues, he discussed moving forward on Middle East peace as well as the recent fundamental changes in the region and the United States’ response to them.
On May 19, he will participate in the U.S.-Israel Strategic Dialogue. The Strategic Dialogue allows senior U.S. and Israeli leaders to discuss, on a regular basis and in depth, the many issues that affect our mutual security and partnership.
Arutz Sheva asks in it’s headline, “Does Obama Think Jerusalem is Outside Israel?” and reports that “the State Department’s wording of an official statement that implied that Jerusalem – including its western parts - is not a part of Israel.” This is odd timing for the administration to have a press release like the one above floating around, while the president is in the middle of attempting to clarify his initial remarks from last week regarding Israel’s borders. More importantly, it only adds to a deep suspicion by Israelis that the White House is not looking out for Israel.
