Bedouins walks next to their shaks [sic!] located near the Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim (background) in the occupied West Bank on November 4, 2009. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was meeting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in an attempt to salvage her Middle East tour after upsetting Arabs with praise of Israel. Clinton added Egypt to her itinerary at the last minute after sparking criticism for welcoming as 'unprecedented' a pledge by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to limit settlement growth. Getty Images.
US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton defended the US stance toward Israeli settlement building to worried Arab allies on Wednesday, saying Washington does not accept the legitimacy of the West Bank enclaves and wants to see their construction halted "forever."
Still, she said an Israeli offer to restrain - but not halt - construction represents "positive movement forward" toward resuming Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.
Clinton met for an hour with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak during a hastily arranged stopover in the Egyptian capital to soothe Arab concerns that Washington is backing off demands for an Israeli settlement halt. The fears were sparked on Saturday when Clinton, with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at her side in Jerusalem, praised his government's offer as unprecedented.
She has since tried to clarify the remarks, saying that the Israeli offer does not got far enough. Still, she has indicated that the Palestinians should resume negotiations with Israel without a full settlement halt as they demand.
On Wednesday, Clinton insisted "our policy on settlement has not changed."
"We do not accept the legitimacy of settlement activity. Ending all settlement activity current and future would be preferable," she told reporters after talks with Mubarak.
Of the Israeli offer, she said, "It is not what we would prefer because we would like to see everything ended forever."
Read more at Jerusalem Post.
Earth to Hillary: You ain't gonna be around "forever."
The media loves to show Arab "shaks" next to Jewish settlements, but they never show you Arab mansions built on Israeli land.
Arab mansion in Israel, built off Highway 6.
I confess that I supported Hillary Clinton for president. I have learned so much since then. What can we do with this U.S. administration that is so worried about soothing Israel's enemies? So upset about upsetting the Arabs, is there any sympathy for Israel? Thumbs down on Hillary!
Posted by: Naomi Litvin | November 04, 2009 at 05:52 PM
Memo to "mizzz" Rodham: Bubbeleh, may you want Jewish settlements in the Jewish homeland to stop "forever", but the Almighty has a rather different view that is clearly expressed in the Bible. Me thinks the Almighty might have a bit of a disagreement with you (to say the least) since His Word is what is truly forever. Man proposes but the Lord disposes.
Posted by: Convert from ECUSA | November 05, 2009 at 07:00 AM