Tomasky's Jaw-Drop - And Mine

Michael Tomasky over at The Guardian believes Aaron David Miller who wrote:

Then there's the settlements issue. In 25 years of working on this issue for six secretaries of state, I can't recall one meeting where we had a serious discussion with an Israeli prime minister about the damage that settlement activity—including land confiscation, bypass roads and housing demolitions—does to the peacemaking process.

Here's the comment I left there after closing my jaw:

Michael, you mean you really believe his claptrap? 25 years back is what, 1975? (he hasn't worked for a recent S of S) or let's say 1980. Sorry, I checked: "Miller worked within the United States Department of State for twenty four years (1978-2003). Between 1988 and 2003, Miller served six secretaries of state as an advisor on Arab-Israeli negotiations,"

I have been in personal touch with all the American Consulate-General Political Officers in Jerusalem since 1983 as a representative of the Yesha communities and have met also with the Consulate-Generals themselves, singularly and with others. All have been quite intensive in investigating and gathering info on the Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. Requests for further information came back. I visited the State Dept. in Washington at the Near East Division, met with Philip Wilcox there after he finished his Jerusalem tour and other officials. All had questions based on B'tselem publications and others.

It was obvious and clear that the issue, artificial and untrue as it is, of the "damage" done to the peacemaking process was very much an agenda item that wasn't the personal whim of this or that official. Doesn't ADM recall debates on "obstacle to peace" vs. "unhelpful" or demands for "settlement freeze"? Please. If this is not an outright lie, he's hypnotized himself. Or maybe he missed a few meetings. Just a half year ago, I was contacted to provide info for Condi Rice on a community and its problems with a nearby Arab village. Her harping on the so-called "harassment" issue is maybe what ADM would have liked to see more often but that there was no in-house discussion is an impossibility of belief.

An aside: ask ADM about a conversation he had with a Yesha rep at the Madrid Conference, Mr. LMZ.

and I rechecked. He worked for Baker who pulled the spongeability analogy on US credit vs. investments in "settlements". Who is ADM kidding?