Middle East
Documents & Texts from America.gov
02 November 2009
Statement by Secretary Clinton on the Middle
East
Clinton says Israelis express willingness to restrain settlement activity
(begin text)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
November 2, 2009
STATEMENT BY SECRETARY CLINTON
Secretary Clinton on the Middle East
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.
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