Some pro-Israel groups in the U.S. are accusing President Obama of promoting the ethnic cleansing of Jews because he had the audacity to call — alongside large numbers of other politicians, even many in Israel — for a halt to Israeli settlement expansion on Palestinian land. — J.C.

The Guardian:

Hardline pro-Israel groups in the US have been confronting President Barack Obama’s demands for a halt to settlement expansion by accusing him of promoting the ethnic cleansing of Jews and jeopardising Israel’s security.

Members of Congress allied with Israel and powerful lobby groups in Washington are also trying to shift the focus of administration policy from the Jewish settlements, arguing they are not an obstacle to peace, to demands for Arab governments to recognise Israel.

The strategy, intertwined with a similar campaign by Israeli politicians and officials, has taken on added urgency because of Obama’s demands, first laid down during a testy meeting in May with the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, that Israel freeze all settlement construction in the West Bank.

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