Clinton presses Israel on peace deal

Clinton presses Israel on peace deal
By Daniel Dombey in Washington
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010
Published: March 22 2010 14:07 | Last updated: March 22 2010 14:07
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e5e4a218-35b4-11df-963f-00144feabdc0.html


Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, warned Israel that its survival could depend on negotiating a peace deal with the Palestinians and its Arab neighbours, in an eagerly awaited speech that followed the recent rift between the two countries.

In her speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington, Mrs Clinton called for concrete steps from Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and its interlocutors and pledged US support for Israel’s security while stressing US interests as well as Israel’s.

”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 referred to the ”belief among many” that heightened security measures and a reduced number of suicide bombings meant ”the status quo can be sustained”. But, she added, ”the dynamics of demography, ideology, and technology make this impossible.”

Citing Ehud Barak, Israel’s defence minister, she added ”the inexorable mathematics of demography are hastening the hour at which Israelis may have to choose between preserving their democracy and staying true to the dream of a Jewish homeland.” She argued that the status quo of the Arab-Israeli conflict strengthened ”rejectionists” and helped Iran ideologically.

”The ever-evolving technology of war is making it harder to guarantee Israel’s security,” Mrs Clinton said. ”For six decades, Israelis have guarded their borders vigilantly. But advances in rocket technology mean that Israeli families are now at risk far from those borders.”

Mrs Clinton called for concrete steps from Mr Netanyahu - who was also due to attend the conference - such as ”demonstrating respect for the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians, stopping settlement activity, and addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”

She added that the rhetoric of Israel’s Arab neighbours also had to be backed up by action.

Mrs Clinton said that US objections to Israel’s announcement about the expansion of a settlement in East Jerusalem were ”not about wounded pride”. She had previously described the move, which came when Vice President Joe Biden was visiting the country, as ”insulting”. Describing the final status of Jerusalem as an issue to be settled at the negotiating table, she added in her speech: ”This is about getting to the table, creating and protecting an atmosphere of trust around it and staying there until the job is done.”

Mrs Clinton added that the US’s commitment to Israel’s security was ”rock solid”, arguing that under President Barack Obama Washington had ”reinvigorated defense consultations, redoubled our efforts to ensure Israel’s qualitative military edge, and provided nearly $3bn in annual military assistance” - increasing such aid in 2010 and planning to do so further in 2011

She also underlined the US’s opposition to Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, describing such an outcome as ”unacceptable to the US, unacceptable to Israel and unacceptable to the region and the international community.”