Ramat Shlomo is the latest Israeli building project to be condemned by the United States and the world. Ramat Shlomo is a neighborhood in Ramot, more Southern Jerusalem than East Jerusalem. However, to the world it is East Jerusalem, since it was redeemed by Israel after the 1967 six day war.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has profusely apologized to United States Vice President Joe Biden, visiting Israel to push forward "proximity talks" with the palestinians, and he has made Interior Minister Eli Yishai apologize as well (since it was the Interior Ministry to publicize the item). This, even though they have both said that they did not know such a decision was to be made public since the municipal decision making process regarding building projects is an independent process not connected to national politics.
Unfortunately, even with PM Binyamin Netanyahu's past statements regarding Jerusalem, and the continued building to take place in Jerusalem, Israelis wake up in the morning to a situation where we are being condemned for building in our own Holy capital city and Israeli politicians apologizing as a result.
