by David Harris

    JERUSALEM, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Just hours after the last of a string of U.S. officials visiting Israel this week bade farewell to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hundreds of thousands of Israeli Jews on Wednesday night began a day of fast and mourning.

    While the ritual dates back almost 2,000 years, its timing this year offered an additional layer of meaning for many of those attending synagogue services.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a visit to the Israeli-controlled Allenby Bridge crossing between the West Bank and Jordan, July 28, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    The annual Ninth of Av Fast commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, a site now regarded by the international community as an occupied territory.

    "We've longed for the land of Israel since we were exiled 2,000years ago. We've had it in our hands for 40 years and now the Americans tell us we have to give it up again," said Renee Kingsley, a mother of three who lives in the center of the country.

    On Monday, around 1,000 people gathered in Jerusalem to protest the U.S. demand for a settlement freeze, as visiting U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was meeting Netanyahu. Besides Gates, the so-called A-Team touring this region this week also included special envoy George Mitchell and National Security Advisor James Jones.

    The prayers and hopes of Israel's right-wingers were dashed as early as Wednesday night, when local TV Channel 10 reported that Netanyahu had agreed to freeze the construction of 900 houses for Jews in the Arab-dominated eastern part of Jerusalem.

    The Palestinian National Authority refuses to negotiate with Israel as long as settlement construction continues in the West Bank and building work rolls on in East Jerusalem.

    The Palestinians want the eastern half of the holy city to be the capital of their future Palestinian state, while most Israelis view the whole Jerusalem as Israel's indivisible capital.

    The stream of American visitors to Israel, who also took in several key Arab states during the trips, discussed not only the Palestinian issue but also bilateral issues and, of paramount importance to Israel, Iran's nuclear program.

    While the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama favors a diplomatic solution to that crisis, Israel is pushing for tougher sanctions and refuses to rule out the military option.

    Yet probably, the flurry of diplomatic efforts was more about Israeli-American confidence building rather than actual progress on either the Iranian or Palestinian track, according to Yaacov Bar Siman Tov, director of the Swiss Center for Conflict Research, Management and Resolution at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

    When the various visitors and their hosts made comments to the media, they were all about confidence building.

    When Obama delivered his major speech in Cairo on June 4 reaching out to the Muslim world, there was a feeling in Israel that he was perhaps adopting a more pro-Arab stance. Since then Israel has wanted to see Obama's hand.

    "(The Americans) needed to give Israel a sense of security regarding Iran so that Israel would be more responsive regarding the peace process (with the Palestinians)," said Bar Siman Tov.

    In terms of the substance, it seems little was achieved this week, at least from what can be garnered via public statements and comments from American and Israeli spin doctors, although the Palestinians would be encouraged by the report of a halt to the building project in East Jerusalem.

    However, on the whole, the remarks coming from Palestinian leaders and their mass public point more to anger and despair about the lack of progress since Netanyahu came into office on April 1.

    "The people are dismayed, there is a lot of disappointment. These statements from the leaders reflect the feeling in the street," said Mohammed Dajani, a political scientist and the founder of the Islamic organization Wasatia Palestine.

    Dajani is also somewhat critical of the Palestinian leadership for being so negative. He suggested they need to appear to be more accommodating to create a better environment for peace negotiations to begin.

    Some of the negativity emanating from the Palestinian side does not necessarily concern Israel, but reflects frustration at internal divisions between rival factions Hamas and Fatah and within Fatah itself, Dajani added.

    Looking ahead, Mitchell did say during his visit that he hoped for an early agreement with Israel on the settlements issue. This reflects comments made by Hillary Clinton last week. Mitchell is expected to return to the region in August.

    It has recently been reported that Obama has written to the heads of several moderate Arab states asking them to become more involved in the peace process. He has requested them to engage Israel.

    So far, the Arab world, in this case led by Saudi Arabia, has called on Israel to return all the territory it captured in the 1967 war in exchange for a full normalization of relations, but Israel is concerned about the sincerity and depth of the offer.

    Obama wants to see gestures from Arab states to indicate to Israel that they are serious about peace.

    The Obama team would like the Palestinians to up their internal security development and end any anti-Israel incitement, and most significantly, Washington is insisting on an end to all Israeli settlement construction.

    For the time being, it appears that the last of these three demands will be the most difficult to meet. Even if there is goodwill on the part of Netanyahu himself, he heads a coalition that is less than willing to compromise on the topic of the settlements.

    Several of the parties within his government are totally dedicated to the expansion of an Israeli presence in the West Bankand East Jerusalem, with much of their voter base coming from the settler movement and its supporters.

    The previous Israeli government of Ehud Olmert spoke of the need for painful compromises, including the relinquishing of East Jerusalem.

    If he was not before, after this week's round of U.S. shuttle diplomacy, Netanyahu would be very aware of just how much he will have to sacrifice in order to reboot the peace process and continue to command the unwavering support of the United States.