A Palestinian man waves a flag during a demonstration in the West Bank village of Bil'in. (Jared Malsin, Maan Images)

The growing divide between the Obama administration and the Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel's expansion of its West Bank settlements has led to delay tactics by Israel. President Obama must see through them and press his criticism or risk losing credibility among Arabs.

The first delay tactic was an attempt to place the onus for the problems in the region on Iran. This idea was pitched by Netanyahu when he traveled to Washington. It was dismissed by President Obama in Cairo.

The second delay tactic, which seems to have gained more traction than the first, is a plea for sympathy for Israeli settlers. They must be allowed settlement expansion to accommodate for "natural growth," the argument goes. If not, we would be asking settlers not to have babies. And how can anyone be against babies? This argument was repeated again in Netanyahu's speech June 14.

But the fact of the matter is, anyone with a basic understanding of three-dimensional construction could tell you that you do not need to usurp more Palestinian land to accommodate the growth of families. You simply should build up.

If the Israelis need any tips on dealing with the rapid growth of population in confined space, they should observe how Gazans have been living for the past 42 years under occupation. Consider that in Israel's largest West Bank settlement, Ma'ale Adummim, the population density is 673 persons per square kilometer. In Gaza, there are 4,118 Palestinians living per square kilometer.

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