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Israel snubs Clinton’s call for settlement halt
Ed Harris28.05.09
Israel will continue construction in West Bank settlements despite US calls to stop, an Israeli government spokesman said today.
Mark Regev said the fate of existing settlements will be decided in peace negotiations but that in the meantime “normal life” in the settlements “must be allowed to continue”. His remarks appeared to be a snub to Hillary Clinton,
who called yesterday for a halt to construction.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will continue to allow “natural growth” in the settlements, referring to further construction at existing sites.
The US Secretary of State's comments came hours before Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was due to meet President Barack Obama at the White
House.
Speaking after a meeting with her Egyptian counterpart, Mrs Clinton said the president was “very clear” with Mr Netanyahu at their recent meeting that there should be a stop to all settlements.
“Not some settlements, not outposts, not natural growth exceptions. We think it is in the best interest of the effort that we are engaged in that settlement expansion cease,” Mrs Clinton
said, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit at her side.
Mr Obama has made clear he supports the creation of a Palestinian state and last week he noted that under a previous arrangement known as the
“roadmap”, the Israelis agreed to halt West Bank settlements, along with certain steps by the Palestinians.
“Settlements have to be stopped in order for us to move forward,” Mr Obama said. “That's a difficult issue. I recognise that, but it's an important one and it has to be addressed.”
The US considers Israel's 121 settlements to be obstacles to peace, since they are built on territory claimed by the Palestinians.
Reader views (10)
It was settlements that lost the Irish their province of Ulster, and remains an occupied part of the Republic of Ireland to this day. Open your eyes Clinton. !
T H Leeds
- Thomas Hayes, Leeds UK
Max, Israel have created a precedent. Israel were obligated to stop increasing settlements as per the Camp David accord a few years ago...now they have gone against that why should any country be obligated to support Israel from an accord in 1978.
Isreal are not really a peace loving country are they?
I think He would be very ashamed of them.
Go on Max, ask them if they have nukes.... they're not very honest on that topic are they!!
- William Bailey, brad
All those people who keep talking about US aid to Israel and how "it should be stopped" do not understand that US is OBLIGATED to provide aid to both Israel ($3.2 billion annually) and Egypt ($1.3 billion annually, if I am not mistaken) according to the 1978 Camp David agreements. By the way, most of this money has to be spent in the US itself to purchase their weapons.
So, if US would suddenly stop, that would automatically made peace agreement between Egypt and Israel null and void. But more importantly, no US president would deliver such a blow to its own economy (think about all those jobs at Boeing, Lockheed, et al).
- Max, London
If you didn't know it before, the Israelis can do as they please unlike N.Korea who arouse "International" outrage when they test their deterrent weapons. The building of settlements have always been on the Israeli agenda so peace would be seen as an obstacle.
T H Leeds
- Thomas Hayes, Leeds UK
Here is a real test of the Obama-Clinton foreign policy.
- John W, Ottawa, Canada
Start SANCTIONS NOW!
No more money, trade or time.
If they want to stand on their own, then let them.
- Caroline, london
Bully's only understand one language and that doesn't include giving free weapons and low tarrifs to their goods.
- John, Aberdeen, UK
The North Koreans have also snubbed the USA. It must be all the rage among rogue states these days.
- Rebecca C, Putney, UK
So they're going against the wishes of the international community? Sounds familiar given recent activity on the Korean Peninsula. Will sanctions be imposed such as those against North Korea?
Ask Israel if they have nuclear weapons! go on i dares ya.
- William Bailey, brad
Not surprising from a country that is becoming increasingly extreme. Since the Camp David accords where the Israelis agreed to stop all settlement activity, they have placed hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers in the Palestinian land and all the while there are millions of indigenous Palestinians of the land living in refugee camps. Its time for the US Government to turn the tap of aid off for Israel. As the biggest recipient of aid from the USA, Israel should stop destablising the world, being a problem for the USA and start accepting international law as obligations not a choice. What I find heartening is unlike the last time that Netanyahu was in power and was told by Bill Clinton to stop settlement expansions and then went to a Republican congress to find a different view which he could use, this time both congress and the US Adminstration are united in one message. I hope in any peace deal the Isreali settlers are forced to accept Palestinian citizenship or return home to Israel.
- Alan Rex, London, UK
