Clinton accused of harming peace talks
Published Monday November 2nd, 2009
JERUSALEM - The Palestinians on Sunday accused U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton of undermining progress toward Mideast peace talks after she praised Israel for offering to curb some Jewish settlement construction.
After meeting Israeli and Palestinian leaders during a visit Saturday, Clinton called for an unconditional resumption of peace talks and welcomed Israel's offer for a slowdown in settlement activity.
But Palestinians rejected the idea of resuming talks, reiterating their demand that Israel must first freeze all construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem - lands they claim for a future state.
"I believe that the U.S. condones continued settlement expansion," Palestinian government spokesman Ghassan Khatib said in a rare public chiding of Washington.
"Calling for a resumption of negotiations despite continued settlement construction doesn't help because we have tried this way many times," Khatib said.
"Negotiations are about ending the occupation and settlement expansion is about entrenching the occupation."
Palestinians expressed deep disappointment and frustration at Clinton's words, which signalled a departure from past U.S. calls for a complete freeze on settlement activity.
"If America cannot get Israel to implement a settlement freeze, what chance do Palestinians have of reaching agreement with Israel on permanent status issues?" Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said.
Similar sentiments were voiced by Jordan and Egypt, the only two Arab countries to have peace agreements with Israel. The two countries said most of the blame lay with Israel, but signalled their unhappiness with the American shift.
Jordan's King Abdullah II travelled to Cairo for talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
After the meeting, both leaders "insisted on the need for an immediate halt of all Israeli unilateral actions, which undermine the chances of achieving peace, especially the settlement construction."
Clinton is set to meet with Arab foreign ministers in Morocco in the coming days.
President Barack Obama buoyed Palestinian hopes with his outreach to the Muslim world and an initially tough stance urging a full freeze to all settlement construction.
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Building one home or one-thousand homes on land that is not yours, on land that is recognized internationally as being occupied illegally - is still ILLEGAL!
The American's foreign policy is such a farce; same sh*t, different pile.
They had no problem removing the most stubborn ones from Gaza before it was handed over (to make way for Hamas rocket launchers), it only took a couple of days.
This is just the normal excuse for Palestinians not to go forward. I am sure if there were no settlers they would find something else to stall progress.