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| Religion Forum Index » Christian Orthodox Forum » Palestinians accuse Hillary Clinton of killing peace... |
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| nickk - not the imposter... |
 Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 10:55 pm |
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Palestinians accuse U.S. of killing peace prospects
Sun Nov 1, 2009 11:14am EST
By Jeffrey Heller
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Pointing an accusing finger at the United States, the
Palestinians on Sunday said Washington's backing for Israeli refusal to halt
Jewish settlement expansion had killed any hope of reviving peace
negotiations soon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, buoyed by new-found support from
the Obama administration, urged the Palestinians to "get a grip" and drop
their settlement freeze precondition for restarting talks suspended since
December.
On a one-day Middle East visit on Saturday, Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton endorsed Israel's view that settlement expansion in the occupied
West Bank should not be a bar to resuming negotiations -- contradicting the
Palestinian position.
Netanyahu has proposed limiting building for now to some 3,000 settler homes
already approved by Israel in the West Bank. He does not regard building in
occupied East Jerusalem, annexed in defiance of international opposition, as
settlement.
U.S. President Barack Obama himself, after persuading Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas in September to meet Netanyahu in New York, called only for
"restraint" in settlement, not the "freeze" he had previously proposed.
Stung by Obama's about-face and Clinton's remarks, the Palestinians voiced
their frustration.
"The negotiations are in a state of paralysis, and the result of Israel's
intransigence and America's back-pedaling is that there is no hope of
negotiations on the horizon," Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah said.
He said the Palestinians were calling for the Arab League to formulate a
"unified Palestinian-Arab position" on the stalled peace process.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said it was a "critical moment" and
insisted settlement must halt to revive peace moves.
"Pressuring Palestinians to make further concessions to accommodate Israeli
intransigence is not the answer," he said.
Netanyahu told his cabinet that U.S. envoy George Mitchell would continue
efforts on Sunday to revive negotiations.
"We hope very much that the Palestinians will get a grip and engage in the
diplomatic process," Netanyahu said. "It is in the interests of Israel and
the Palestinians."
DOMESTIC PRESSURE
Abbas faces intense domestic pressure from Hamas Islamists who control the
Gaza Strip, and any compromise on settlements could hurt him politically in
a run-up to Palestinian elections he has scheduled for January 24. Hamas has
rejected holding a vote.
Some 500,000 Israelis live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem alongside 2.8
million Palestinians. Israel captured the territories in a 1967 war with its
Arab neighbors. Palestinians say settlements could deny them a viable state.
Netanyahu's coalition, including pro-settler groups, does not believe Abbas
is strong enough to deliver Israeli security in any deal. Some analysts see
Netanyahu's cooperation with Obama's demand for a resumption of talks on
establishing a Palestinian state as intended mainly to ensure U.S. support
against Iran.
Palestinians warn that popular frustration with the failure to produce
statehood deal could spill over into an upsurge in violence, even if few
have appetite for a broad new uprising.
George Giacaman, a political analyst at Birzeit University in the West Bank
said, "The Palestinian Authority is weak and has not been achieving any
results.
"I believe we are at a dangerous stage. With no credible political process,
this could create a political vacuum that might lead to violence."
Nadir Saeed, at the same institution, said Abbas had little option but to
try and keep talking with Israel and the Americans, adding: "It is no better
for him to come back to his public empty-handed.
"(Abbas) has built his career on the idea of negotiations. He cannot
credibly back away." |
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