'Poetic Justice' in Jerusalem

President Barack Obama has made plain he means to deconstruct Israel's 43-year-old grip on East Jerusalem. But, for all Washington's pressure, Israel seeks to tighten its hold on the occupied part of the city. Since annexing East Jerusalem in the wake of the 1967 Arab-Israel war there have been five aspects to Israel's take-over of Palestinian Jerusalem: building (new Jewish neighbourhoods), curbing (Palestinian building), evicting (Palestinian families), demolishing (so-called illegally-built Palestinian homes), and settling (Israelis in the heart of Palestinian neighbourhoods). Yet, U.S. pressure has borne some dividend: For nearly six months the demolitions have unofficially ceased. Building and settling in East Jerusalem are at the core of U.S. demands of Israel in advance of pending new talks with the Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under Washington's whip to provide answers on the issue.