Obama says settlement building illegitimate

[Scurrilous]

US president tells UN General Assembly time has come to renew peace talks. He calls on Palestinians to stop incitement against Israel, says his country won't accept legitimacy of continued settlement building. 'The Goal is clear: Two states living side by side in peace and security,' he adds

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3781005,00.html

<snip>

"US President Barack Obama said Wednesday that the time has come to relaunch negotiations toward the long-elusive goal of Mideast peace.

In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Obama said it was time for talks without preconditions to resolve disagreements on security for Israelis and Palestinians, borders, refugees and the status of Jerusalem itself.

The president said the goal was clear: "Two states living side by side in peace and security." He said resolving the Mideast issue was essential to promoting a future of peace and prosperity.

Obama said the US does not view continued Israeli settlement building as legitimate.

"We continue to call on Palestinians to end incitement against Israel and we continue to emphasize that America does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements," the US president said."

[PDJane]

1. I'm glad he's willing to say so.

Those settlements are against every vestige of international law. The Israelis are an occupying force.

[LeftishBrit]

2. Good for him.

[IndianaGreen]

3. Wait a few more hours, and you will get a different version from the horse's mouth himself

Anyone cares for waffles?

[Ken Burch]

4. If he sticks to his guns on this, I'm with him.

Please, please, PLEASE don't let anybody talk him into triangulating. There's simply defense for building any new settlements or expanding any of the settlements that now exist. What part of "enough already" does Netanyahu not understand?

[Scurrilous]

5. US official: Settlements preventing normalization

Official tells Jewish leaders in US Arab countries refusing to normalize relations with Israel due to 450 new housing units approved in West Bank

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3781155,00.html

<snip>

"A US official held a meeting with Jewish leaders Wednesday and told them that Israel's failure to achieve normalization with Arab countries was largely due to its approval of 450 more housing units in West Bank settlements.

He said the Israeli government had known that the Arab nations may recoil at the announcement, but had approved the construction anyway.

The official added that Israel had promised to take certain trust-building steps, which include the freezing of settlements, in addition to renewing negotiations with the Palestinians. He said US President Barack Obama believed Israel was committed to this.

The official said Obama was willing to invest "political capital" in furthering the peace process and hinted that he would not capitulate to political pressure."