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Last update - 14:22 06/06/2009
Clinton: No proof Bush administration approved settlement growth
By Haaretz Service and Reuters
Tags: israel news, hillary clinton 

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton dismissed on Friday reports that administration of former U.S. President George W. Bush had an understanding under which Israel could keep expanding settlements on the West Bank.

Dov Weisglass, chief of staff to former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, wrote in an op-ed piece published this week in the Yedioth Ahronoth daily that the Bush administration had secretly agreed to expanding Jewish settlements on the West Bank within their existing boundaries.

Speaking to reporters in Washington, Clinton sought to undercut Weisglass' argument, saying there was no acknowledgment of any such agreement in the official negotiating record between Israel and the Bush administration.
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"There is no memorialization of any informal and oral agreements. If they did occur, which of course people say they did, they did not become part of the official position of the United States government," Clinton said at a news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

"And there are contrary documents that suggest that they were not to be viewed as in any way contradicting the obligations that Israel undertook pursuant to the road map," Clinton added. "And those obligations are very clear."

Clinton's hard line suggests that U.S. President Barack Obama has no intention of relenting on his call for a settlement freeze by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The United States wants Israel to keep its commitment under the 2003 "road map" peace plan to halt all settlement activity, including so-called "natural growth," under which new homes are built within existing enclaves for growing settler families.

Netanyahu on Monday defied the U.S. demand, saying Israel would keep building in existing settlements on territory Israel captured during the 1967 Six-Day War.

Ex-Mossad chief: Bush showed understanding for Israel's position on settlement blocs

The previous U.S. administration expressed understanding for Israel's demand to retain large West Bank settlement blocs as part of any final status accord with the Palestinians, Ephraim Halevy, the former head of Israel's spy agency, Mossad, told Israel Radio on Saturday.

In the exchange of letters between former President George W. Bush and then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the U.S. acknowledged that the prevailing circumstances on the ground would make it unrealistic to expect Israel to withdraw wholly to the pre-1967 armistice lines, Halevy told Israel Radio.

Click here for the full text of letters exchanged between Ariel Sharon and George W. Bush.

Halevy added that the road map document includes explicit recognition of the Palestinians' political rights in Jerusalem, according to Israel Radio.

The former Mossad chief added that Israel has no say in determining whether it satisfactorily met its obligations under the road map. The international Quartet - the U.S., Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations - is the only body authorized to make such a determination, Halevy told Israel Radio.

Related articles:
  • Obama: U.S. will be 'honest' with Israel on settlements
  • Israeli ministers: No West Bank settlement freeze
  • ANALYSIS / Congress gives Obama green light to squeeze Israel
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      1.   Well that ain`t workin` 02:46  |  Iain 06/06/09
      2.   Bush approved settlement growth?? 02:59  |  WHG 06/06/09
      3.   Natural Growth? 03:37  |  Cool B 06/06/09
      4.   just like a child.... 03:46  |  FK 06/06/09
      5.   It is Israel`s Land 03:54  |  Brod 06/06/09
      6.   That good news just keeps on coming... 03:59  |  BBSNews 06/06/09
      7.   If the US does not recognize its own understandings?? 04:42  |  A Brazilian 06/06/09
      8.   Israel is a sovereign country 04:47  |  Brod 06/06/09
      9.   brod 6 05:03  |  potobac 06/06/09
      10.   #7 it is our business 05:18  |  fred 06/06/09
      11.   Another Brazilian 05:35  |  Fabricio Tarozzo 06/06/09
      12.   It was a verbal agreement between Sharon and Bush 05:54  |  Harold 06/06/09
      13.   Fred is right 06:05  |  Jane 06/06/09
      14.   also, remember President Bush`s impatience with the dismantling 06:06  |  Smadar 06/06/09
      15.   Dov Weisglass`s suggestion from a few years ago 06:19  |  Goose and Gander 06/06/09
      16.   # 8 you must be joking 06:26  |  C2 06/06/09
      17.   George Bush promised????? 06:31  |  janice 06/06/09
      18.   Brod 06:35  |  Janice 06/06/09
      19.   if Israel gets back on the roadmap... 06:47  |  Adam 06/06/09
      20.   Fred in Stockton is Right 07:44  |  Bill 06/06/09
      21.   The Roadmap 08:01  |  Iain 06/06/09
      22.   palestine is a trick to destroy israel 08:53  |  gil 06/06/09
      23.   Not only is it our money... 09:19  |  David 06/06/09
      24.   can the settlements build upward-highrise aprtments-no more land 09:22  |  Susanna/Shoshana 06/06/09
      25.   Clinton`s turn-coat 10:43  |  The Teacher/Instruct 06/06/09
      26.   clinton parameters 11:03  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/06/09
      27.   Bush called settlements "An impediment to peace" 11:08  |  Natallie Durson 06/06/09
      28.   Right on, gil #22 12:40  |  see it 06/06/09
      29.   no relevant 12:48  |  oz 06/06/09
      30.   George Bush the knight of freedom??? 12:52  |  luc 06/06/09
      31.   Settlement growth and Bush 12:56  |  Tomas 06/06/09
      32.   Cipora #26... the fear/suspicion in that... 13:27  |  Esther 06/06/09
      33.   Great US, Don´t give in to Israeli weining again 13:28  |  Joe 06/06/09
      34.   US Presidents have been at odds with Israel 14:35  |  Stephen. 06/06/09
      35.   #8 Brod - Israel still has to abide by International law 16:30  |  A Bethlehemite 06/06/09
      36.   Looks like Israel has been caught lying 16:30  |  Chris Linthwaite 06/06/09
      37.   #34 Stephen 16:36  |  Chris Linthwaite 06/06/09
      38.   to # 26 16:49  |  Bibi the Just 06/06/09
      39.   Clinton is a State Department marionette 16:54  |  Avi 06/06/09
      40.   Stephen #34 `Swiss cheese` of a theory. 17:01  |  Roo 06/06/09
      41.   #33 Joe in VA 17:12  |  Malach HaMavet 06/06/09
      42.   brod 5 17:41  |  michael 06/06/09
      43.   A complete freeze is easily accomodated 17:42  |  Roo 06/06/09
      44.   All Settlements were once "Outposts" 17:55  |  Nour 06/06/09
      45.   Quibbling 19:10  |  J.Green 06/06/09
      46.   Bethlehemite #35 19:20  |  Brod 06/06/09
      47.   more lies from Israel 19:32  |  BBSNews.net 06/06/09
      48.   #37.Chris Linthwaite. 19:37  |  Stephen. 06/06/09
      49.   Excuses... Excuses... Excuses... 20:09  |  Mandelarab 06/06/09
      50.   US approving.... 20:52  |  PJV 06/06/09
      51.   The winds of change 22:15  |  Bazmann 06/06/09
      52.   Eastern Flank 10:21  |  Paul 07/06/09
      53.   Another useless US official. Where does America get them from? 11:53  |  Tcherkessi 07/06/09
      54.   growth 12:13  |  Yerucham 07/06/09
      55.   Stephen # 34 Israel is protectimg American army? 19:10  |  American in NY 07/06/09
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