Clinton: Israeli Quds demolitions breach of int'l obligations
Clinton criticised Israel's plans to demolish dozens of Palestinian homes in Quds as a violation of its international obligations.
Wednesday, 04 March 2009 16:10
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticised on Wednesday Israel's plans to demolish dozens of Palestinian homes in Quds as a violation of its international obligations.
"Clearly this kind of activity is unhelpful and not in keeping with the obligations entered into under the 'road map'," Clinton said, referring to the peace plan.
"It is an issue that we intend to raise with the government of Israel and the government at the municipal level in Jerusalem," she added at a joint news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Abbas said that unless Israel's incoming leaders were committed to a two-state solution and halted settlement construction and Jerusalem demolitions, "we will not consider them as peace partners".
Israel plans demolitions of more than 80 Palestinian homes.
Clinton met Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, and Salam Fayyad, the prime minister, on Wednesday in Ramallah, the administrative headquarters of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA).
A day after pledging the new Obama administration would "always" protect Israel's security, Clinton visited the Israeli-occupied West Bank to meet President Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority.
Clinton is on her first visit to the region as secretary of state during a time of political transition in Israel, which held an election on Feb. 10 that led to right-winger Benjamin Netanyahu being invited to form a government by April 3.
Clinton on Tuesday pledged that Washington would be "vigorously engaged" in the pursuit of a Palestinian state, an outcome she said would be in Israel's best interests.
Saleh Rafat, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's Executive Committee, said Abbas would tell Clinton during the meeting there would be no peace negotiations unless Israel agreed unequivocally to a two-state solution.
Settlement expansions
Rafat said Abbas also would urge Clinton to press Israel to stop settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israeli settlements on occupied land are deemed illegal by the World Court.
Netanyahu, mirroring the policy of the outgoing government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, has said he would not build new settlements but expand existing ones to accommodate the "natural growth" of their populations.
A U.S.-backed peace "road map" that has served as the foundation of Israeli-Palestinian talks calls for a halt to all Israeli settlement expansions.
In her talks in Jerusalem on Tuesday, Clinton also called for the consolidation of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where Israel in December launched a devastating 22-day offensive killing nearly 1400 Palestinians and wounding more than 5000.
"Clearly this kind of activity is unhelpful and not in keeping with the obligations entered into under the 'road map'," Clinton said, referring to the peace plan.
"It is an issue that we intend to raise with the government of Israel and the government at the municipal level in Jerusalem," she added at a joint news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Abbas said that unless Israel's incoming leaders were committed to a two-state solution and halted settlement construction and Jerusalem demolitions, "we will not consider them as peace partners".
Israel plans demolitions of more than 80 Palestinian homes.
Clinton met Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, and Salam Fayyad, the prime minister, on Wednesday in Ramallah, the administrative headquarters of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA).
A day after pledging the new Obama administration would "always" protect Israel's security, Clinton visited the Israeli-occupied West Bank to meet President Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority.
Clinton is on her first visit to the region as secretary of state during a time of political transition in Israel, which held an election on Feb. 10 that led to right-winger Benjamin Netanyahu being invited to form a government by April 3.
Clinton on Tuesday pledged that Washington would be "vigorously engaged" in the pursuit of a Palestinian state, an outcome she said would be in Israel's best interests.
Saleh Rafat, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's Executive Committee, said Abbas would tell Clinton during the meeting there would be no peace negotiations unless Israel agreed unequivocally to a two-state solution.
Settlement expansions
Rafat said Abbas also would urge Clinton to press Israel to stop settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israeli settlements on occupied land are deemed illegal by the World Court.
Netanyahu, mirroring the policy of the outgoing government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, has said he would not build new settlements but expand existing ones to accommodate the "natural growth" of their populations.
A U.S.-backed peace "road map" that has served as the foundation of Israeli-Palestinian talks calls for a halt to all Israeli settlement expansions.
In her talks in Jerusalem on Tuesday, Clinton also called for the consolidation of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where Israel in December launched a devastating 22-day offensive killing nearly 1400 Palestinians and wounding more than 5000.
Source : http://www.worldbulletin.net
