Sec. Clinton Remarks on Middle East Relations
Secretary Clinton on the Middle East
Hillary Rodham
Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington,
DC
November 2, 2009
Secretary Clinton delivered the
following remarks Monday morning at a camera spray upon
meeting with Moroccan Foreign Minister Fassi-Fihri in
Marrakech, Morocco:
For 40 years, successive American
administrations of both parties have opposed Israel’s
settlement policy. That is absolutely a fact.
And the
Obama Administration’s position on settlements is clear,
unequivocal. It has not changed. And as the President has
said on many occasions, the United States does not accept
the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. Now, the
Israelis have responded to the call from the United States,
the Palestinians and the Arab world to stop settlement
activity by expressing a willingness to restrain settlement
activity. They will build no new settlements, expropriate no
land, allow no new construction or approvals.
And let
me just say this offer falls far short of what we would
characterize as our position, or what our preference would
be. But if it is acted upon, it will be an unprecedented
restriction on settlements and would have a significant and
meaningful affect on restraining their growth.
Let me
take a step back because I want to put this into the broader
context. I will offer positive reinforcement to the parties
when I believe they are taking steps that support the
objective of reaching a two-state solution.
I will
also push them as I have in public and in private to do even
more. And in my report to the President last month, I talked
about Israeli willingness to restrain settlement activity as
a positive step.
In the same report, I praised
President Abbas’ leadership of the Palestinian Authority
for their courage and the security measures on the West
Bank. The steps being taken under President Abbas and Prime
Minister Fayed are also unprecedented and we have never seen
such effective security. I have on many occasions going back
– as you know in Sharm El Sheikh - praised the
accomplishments that the Palestinian Authority has
demonstrated in building, training, and reforming their
security forces.
I told Prime Minister Netanyahu that
these positive steps on the part of the Palestinians should
be met by positive steps from Israel - movement and access,
operations by the IDF and on Israeli security arrangements
on the West Bank. Israel has done a few things in that
regard but they need to do much more. And President Abbas
has shown leadership and determination on this issue and
Israel should reciprocate.
I just want to clarify that
what we are trying to achieve is a two-state solution with a
state that represents the aspirations of the Palestinian
people – the sovereignty and to have control over their
own future, and provide the security guarantees to Israel
for their own future. That is my goal. And when either party
takes any steps that looks like it moves us in the right
direction – even if it is not what I would like or what I
would like prefer - I’m going to positively reinforce
that.
This is an opportunity for both sides to try to
move forward together, to get into negotiations, and to
realize the goal that many of us around this table have
supported and worked for for many
years.
ENDS