Hillary Clinton warns Israel over settlements and house demolitions

[ShockediSay]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5845886.ece


Hillary Clinton made further awkward demands of the incoming Israeli government today as she pledged to tackle the construction of settlements on occupied land and criticised plans to demolish Arab homes in East Jerusalem.

Speaking alongside Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the US Secretary of State repeated her desire to work towards a two-state solution, which would see a Palestinian state established alongside Israel as part of a permanent peace settlement.

Her comments will pile the pressure on Binyamin Netanyahu, who has been asked by President Shimon Peres to form Israel's next coalition government. The hawkish Likud party leader has said that he does not support a two-state solution, and wants to simply help the economic development of the territory while it remains under Israeli control.

"The United States aims to foster conditions in which a Palestinian state can be fully realised," Mrs Clinton said, after talks with Mr Abbas. "Time is of the essence."


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Looks to me like change has come; one more instance where the US is growing away from
lobbyist driven policies.

[polichick]

1. Good news!

[lsewpershad]

6. Good news indeed.

It's about time.

[supernova]

2. This is good news indeed

We should have been pushing them to stop the settlements all along.

Dumbass W!

:grr: :-(


BBC had a report last week, IIRC, from one of the WB settlements. Three teen Israeli boys said that they would be willing to give up their houses if it meant permanent peace. So, good on ya boys!

[Captain Hilts]

4. Like the financial system, they've had eight years without regulation or oversight. nt

[BanzaiBonnie]

3. It's time the US took a stand for what is right and fair

Good to hear this.

[Viva_Daddy]

5. Sorry, don't believe the rhetoric

The settlements have ALWAYS been illegal but Israel keeps building them anyway. According to Chomsky, more settlements were built under the Labor Party (the so-called "liberals") than under the Likud Party. When Zionists say they want "peace" read instead "a piece here and a piece there until we've taken everything for ourselves".

[LeftishBrit]

7. Good for her

As America holds the purse-strings they have some influence. Now maybe the pressures will be for peace, instead of the Israelis being used as pawns in the war on terra/Iran the way they were IMO by the Bush government.