US SECRETARY of state Hillary Clinton yesterday warned Israel that its survival could be in jeopardy unless it reached a peace deal with the Palestinians.
Her warning came in an address to the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) in Washington, and followed days of tension between the US and the Israeli government of Binyamin Netanyahu.
Aipac, a powerful lobby group, recently rebuked the Obama administration for its criticism of Israel over the proposed expansion of a Jewish settlement in occupied East Jerusalem. But Mrs Clinton argued that Washington’s concern for Israel’s ultimate security had led to the clash with Mr Netanyahu.
In remarks that earned her one of several standing ovations from an audience of 7,500, she said: “Our commitment to Israel’s security and Israel’s future is rock solid, unwavering, enduring and forever.”
She received a more guarded response when she outlined the administration’s reasoning behind its push for a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. “The conflict with the Palestinians and with Israel’s Arab neighbours . . . threatens Israel’s long-term future as a secure and democratic Jewish state,” she said.
Mrs Clinton used her speech to urge Mr Netanyahu to take concrete steps to aid peace talks with the Palestinians, including “demonstrating respect for the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians, stopping settlement activity and addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza”.
She also underlined Washington’s determination to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and the US drive for “sanctions that will bite”.
US envoy George Mitchell yesterday urged Israel and the Palestinians to observe a period of calm to rescue talks thrown into jeopardy by the dispute over new settlement plans in East Jerusalem.
“On behalf of the US and the president, I urge all sides to exercise restraint,” he said after talks with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. – (Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010; Additional reporting: Reuters)
