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Last update - 07:41 10/06/2009
'U.S. won't abandon legitimate Palestinian aspirations'
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: Israel News, Barack Obama 

The U.S. must create the conditions for the speedy resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Washington's envoy to the region said Wednesday in Ramallah, as he assured Palestinians that America would never abandon their "legitimate aspirations."

"The only viable solution for this conflict is for the aspirations of both sides to be met in two states," former U.S. senator Mitchell told journalists after meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city.

"The U.S. has an obligation to create conditions for the prompt resumption and early conclusion of negotiations," he said, adding that "America will not turn our back to the legitimate Palestinians aspirations for dignity, opportunity and a state of their own."
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Israelis and Palestinians, he said, had to meet their obligations under the international Road Map peace plan.

"It is in their interest as well as the interest of other countries in the region," he said.

The road map, a performance-based initiative, outlines a series of steps the sides have to take, culminating in a Palestinian state being established alongside Israel.

Although Israel has previously accepted the road map, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to explicitly endorse the establishment of a Palestinian state, and has rejected the U.S. demand, which is also an Israeli obligation under the peace plan, to halt all settlement activity.

During his talks with Abbas, U.S. special envoy George Mitchell was reported to have introduced the possibility of a territorial exchange in the West Bank as part of the peace process.

An aide to Abbas later denied that the two had discussed the idea of a land exchange - of offering the Palestinians Ma'aleh Adumim and the Gush Etzion settlement bloc, as reported by the BBC.

On Tuesday, Mitchell met with Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

The former U.S. senator and broker of the Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland communicated the Obama administration's desire to see the Gaza crossings reopened so as to enable the entry of building materials for post-war reconstruction.

Mitchell added that Washington understands the need for proper border inspections that will ensure no building material be used by Hamas. The U.S. seeks to involve Hamas' rival, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, in the process so that the crossings' reopening not be interpreted as a Hamas achievement, Mitchell said.

Mitchell also reiterated on Tuesday that the Obama administration is adamantly insisting on a freeze of construction in all Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Mitchell said that opposition to Israel's settlement policy has been Washington's position for the last 40 years, and that the administration had no intention of backing down on the demand for a total freeze.

During their meeting on Tuesday, Netanyahu told Mitchell: "Israel is acting to advance peace and security with the Palestinians and with the Arab world."

In his round of meetings with senior Israeli officials on Tuesday, Mitchell demonstrated a more moderate tack in discussing his government's disagreements with Jerusalem over West Bank settlements.

Mitchell assured Israel on Tuesday that Washington would remain its close ally despite differences over West Bank settlements and peacemaking with the Palestinians.

Mitchell said the U.S. commitment to Israeli security is unshakable, adding, "We come here to talk not as adversaries and in disagreement, but as friends in discussion."

The envoy made the comments Netanyahu at his side before a meeting with the premier Tuesday evening.

Earlier Tuesday, Mitchell told President Shimon Peres his goal was to create conditions for "prompt resumption and early conclusion" of talks leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state "side by side in peace and security with the Jewish state of Israel".

"Let me be clear. These are not disagreements among adversaries. The United States and Israel are and will remain close allies and friends," Mitchell said. He later voiced the same sentiment.


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      1.   A wind of revolt. 07:51  |  Mario Sala 10/06/09
      2.   one sided freeze is racist 08:15  |  Zev 10/06/09
      3.   Freeze followed by natural defrost 08:20  |  Mark Penn 10/06/09
      4.   The freeze is the very minimum Israel can do for a starter... 08:33  |  S 10/06/09
      5.   Light to the Nations 08:34  |  Dr Paul Brown 10/06/09
      6.   Complete settlement freeze. No more land grabs. 08:46  |  Lou Medel 10/06/09
      7.   Bibi` s stance on settlements is no different than other premiers 08:52  |  Observer 10/06/09
      8.   Drop the Pretext, Netanyahu 08:53  |  Marcos 10/06/09
      9.   yield 09:01  |  Pontiac 10/06/09
      10.   But on the other hand nukes for Korea and Iran are OK 09:07  |  Dave 10/06/09
      11.   Hogwash 09:09  |  Iain 10/06/09
      12.   Bibi is using Chinese style negotiation .... 09:10  |  Wedi Mendefera 10/06/09
      13.   `U.S. won`t yield on demand for settlement freeze` 09:30  |  Natallie Durson 10/06/09
      14.   SMALL, WEAK STATE 10:02  |  Gomes 10/06/09
      15.   Pontiac #3 Nailed It 10:13  |  hsk01945 10/06/09
      16.   #2.One sided freeze?Pal no permits to build in occupied WB! 10:35  |  Reality 10/06/09
      17.   Israel really has two acceptable choices 10:50  |  Rod 10/06/09
      18.   Oh dear Toto 11:12  |  Colin Wright 10/06/09
      19.   No more Trickery? What happened 11:18  |  Shalib 10/06/09
      20.   Israel has plenty of room inside the Green Line for growth 11:38  |  Johan Odin 10/06/09
      21.   Obama: Yes, we can! 11:39  |  Saad 10/06/09
      22.   7 Observer 11:47  |  Richelle 10/06/09
      23.   US must stop all settlement activity in Manhatten 12:00  |  Lisa - peace lover 10/06/09
      24.   Reality #16 - They do not need permits and are massively building 12:06  |  Zev 10/06/09
      25.   The Jewish definition of "natural" .. 12:42  |  un2here 10/06/09
      26.   Israel and peace 12:46  |  Natallie Durson 10/06/09
      27.   Can Israel afford peace? 12:48  |  Matty Groves 10/06/09
      28.   freeze only the first step 12:52  |  Faris 10/06/09
      29.   YIELDING 12:53  |  OZ 10/06/09
      30.   Lies said to friends 12:59  |  Ussishkin 10/06/09
      31.   Who cares? 13:07  |  David Nigel Braham 10/06/09
      32.   Why should the territories be "cleansed" of Jews just because... 15:00  |  Sagi 10/06/09
      33.   IN nod to us,..... 15:04  |  Eugenia Liautaud 10/06/09
      34.   Doubt it 15:17  |  Haaretz Fan 10/06/09
      35.   Braham pay them back 15:45  |  Mohammad 10/06/09
      36.   friends in discussion 15:53  |  oz 10/06/09
      37.   Game is over folks 15:59  |  Ian 10/06/09
      38.   Why focus on Israel when getting Hamas & Fatah together is... 16:19  |  bat yam 10/06/09
      39.   "Legitimate Palestinian Aspirations" 16:32  |  Jeff Northridge 10/06/09
      40.   Give the settlements to the Palestinians 16:37  |  Natallie Durson 10/06/09
      41.   Freeze is not racist 16:38  |  Michael G Angstreich 10/06/09
      42.   # 23 lisa 16:41  |  Axel 10/06/09
      43.   # 32 sagi 16:47  |  Axel 10/06/09
      44.   medel:"no more land grabs" 17:22  |  Arie 10/06/09
      45.   to Natallie.... But without those occupyers! 17:22  |  Antonio da Silva 10/06/09
      46.   Eugenia/33 17:50  |  Deacon2 10/06/09
      47.   #40 Natalie Durson 17:51  |  H 10/06/09
      48.   #41 Michael G 17:55  |  Zev 10/06/09
      49.   to Zev 18:07  |  Gregg 10/06/09
      50.   To Sagi 18:10  |  George 10/06/09
      51.   Territorial Concessions 18:15  |  David 10/06/09
      52.   Antonio da Silva from Argentina 18:17  |  Zev 10/06/09
      53.   Natallie Durson 18:24  |  Paul 10/06/09
      54.   What kind of peace? 18:45  |  Daniel 10/06/09
      55.   Same-o, Same-o 19:03  |  Tom VanAllen 10/06/09
      56.   42 Axel - Lisa`s Not American 19:33  |  Mark of Lewiston 10/06/09
      57.   #50-George 19:38  |  Don Rosenberg 10/06/09
      58.   #7 19:42  |  TC 10/06/09
      59.   The blinking (NKorea, Iran) administration 19:45  |  17 10/06/09
      60.   Obama 19:47  |  Schlash 10/06/09
      61.   Why would Israelis 20:22  |  Jennifer 10/06/09
      62.   Mark Lewiston-Correct on New Amsterdam 20:34  |  Arie 10/06/09
      63.   Fourth Geneva Convention Article 49 20:41  |  Michael G Angstreich 10/06/09
      64.   #53 Paul--end of illegal Seetlement expansion 21:23  |  Labhras 10/06/09
      65.   Paul 21:26  |  Natallie Durson 10/06/09
      66.   #63 4th Geneva Convention,Art.49 21:35  |  Moshe 10/06/09
      67.   #23 Well Lisa 21:37  |  ballistic 10/06/09
      68.   Michael G Angstreich #63 22:16  |  Gee 10/06/09
      69.   well gee Gee :) the league of nations exist no more 22:42  |  play catch up 10/06/09
      70.   Arie 22:46  |  Mike from Boston 10/06/09
      71.   "Legitimate aspirations" 22:47  |  JW 10/06/09
      72.   Have Faith - U.S. Abondoned South Vietnam 00:50  |  Malach HaMavet 11/06/09
      73.   62 Arie - Indeed, Sort of 01:57  |  Mark of Lewiston 11/06/09
      74.   #66 You need to read the ENTIRE converntion, Moshe 02:09  |  Johnboy 11/06/09
      75.   #68 The most astonishing ignorance, Gee 03:13  |  Johnboy 11/06/09
      76.   Michael G Angstreich # 41 International Law (3rd try) 03:52  |  Jeff Northridge 11/06/09
      77.   Correcting ignorance 12:13  |  Murray 11/06/09
      78.   #76 Not this nonsense again, Jeff (4th try) 17:17  |  Johnboy 11/06/09
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