Clinton backpedals on praise for Israel's settlement stance

Hillary Clinton. Photo / AP

MARRAKECH - In the face of Arab criticism of the Administration's recalibrated Mideast peace tack, United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday moderated her praise for Israel's offer to restrain, but not stop, building settlements in Palestinian areas.

Clinton said its offer "falls far short" of US expectations. She repeated, however, that it reflected a potentially important step forward for Mideast peace.

Clinton said her earlier praise of Israel's offer had been intended as "positive reinforcement". Arab states interpreted it as a softening of the US position on settlements, which stand in the way of a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Clinton's comments in Jerusalem appeared to reflect a realisation within the Obama Administration that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Government will not accept a full-scale settlement freeze and that a partial halt may be the best lesser option. Her appeal seemed designed to make the Israeli position more palatable to the Palestinians and Arab states.

Clinton had travelled to the region only reluctantly, concerned her visit might be seen as a failure, according to several US officials. She agreed to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders after pressure from the White House.

"Successive American Administrations of both parties have opposed Israel's settlement policy," she said yesterday. "That is absolutely a fact, and the Obama Administration's position on settlements is clear, unequivocal and it has not changed. As the President has said on many occasions, the US does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements."

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said that "we have heard her say something completely different from that statement in line with previous statements, so we are happy that such a position was highlighted and brought back to the right line and right now we will see how things will go."

Malki added that "we completely appreciate the sincere efforts made by President Barack Obama and his team to take this issue as a top priority and to try to deal with it from day one".

- AP