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Last update - 00:23 04/11/2009
Britain: Israeli settlements are 'illegal' and 'obstacle' to peace
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Hillary Clinton, Israel News 

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Tuesday criticized Israel's construction of settlements in the West Bank as "illegal" and said they represented an "obstacle" in the path of peace.

"Settlements are illegal in our view and an obstacle" that impedes efforts which seek to work out a final settlement between the Israelis and Palestinians, Miliband told a press conference at the end of a one-day visit to Jordan and talks with King Abdullah II.

The British Foreign Secretary also conferred in Amman with the U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell to review the outcome of a regional tour Mitchell and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton were
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arrying out to try to spur the stalled peace process.

Miliband supported the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and expressed concern over Israeli violations in East Jerusalem, which Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War.

"The current situation is obviously particularly tense in respect to Jerusalem. We view events there with considerable concern, along with our EU and international partners," he said.

Miliband also warned that any alternative to a two-state vision as
a solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict would be "dark and unwelcome".

Abdullah II, for his part, urged the international community to pressure Israel to stop its "unilateral actions" in East Jerusalem, according to a royal court statement following their meeting.

"The monarch underlined the importance of the European Union's role, particularly that of Britain, in efforts aimed at ensuring the setting up of an independent Palestinian state, which is a prerequisite for Middle East peace," said the statement.

King Abdullah warned against "the dangers inherent in the Israeli unilateral actions, especially the construction of settlements and other measures that threaten the identity of Jerusalem and holy places there, and called on the international community to put pressure on Israel to halt such steps," added the statement.

Egypt: Israel taking 'racist steps' to rid Jerusalem of Arabs

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, urged the international community to protect Jerusalem from the "racist steps" being taken by Israel to change the demographics of the city.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman appealed to the United Nations Security Council with the complaint that Israel has been trying to change the demographic reality in all Palestinian territory, particularly in Jerusalem.

The Egyptian complaint came just before Clinton arrived in Cairo, culminating days of meetings across North Africa and in Israel. Clinton was met in Cairo late Tuesday by the U.S. Mideast peace envoy, Mitchell.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit also said on Tuesday that Cairo wants assurances that any Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations would ensure a Palestinian state and not be used to "waste time".

Clinton, facing Arab accusations that she had been too soft on Israel, later said in Morocco that Israel's offer to show restraint on settlements fell short of U.S. expectations.

"We want to have guarantees for the Palestinians ... that ensure them that these negotiations will not be used to waste time or to accomplish Israeli objectives against them," Aboul Gheit told a news conference in Cairo.

He said Egypt also wanted "guarantees that give them the right for a Palestinian state".

Clinton is on a whirlwind trip through the Middle East seeking to garner Arab support for the resumption of stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

She is due to arrive in Cairo later on Tuesday and will meet with Aboul Gheit and Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman before holding talks on Wednesday with President Hosni Mubarak. The talks are likely to focus on the peace process.

Aboul Gheit, asked about Clinton's stance on resuming talks, said he was hoping for clarification on Washington's view.

"I have to wait and see the reaction of the American Secretary of State as she arrives in Cairo tonight, because she gave certain explanations last night. We have to get them ourselves and then consider the issue," he said.

While in Morocco, Clinton offered aid to boost ties with the Muslim world and urged Israel, the Palestinians and Arab countries to move beyond recrimination in the search for peace.

After a weekend of heated words about the perceived U.S. tilt toward Israel on the issue of settlements in the West Bank, Clinton said it was important for all sides to "be careful about what we say" and avoid angry rhetoric.

"We are determined and persistent in the pursuit of that goal," she said in a speech at a development forum in Morocco attended by Arab ministers.

"We need to work together in a constructive spirit toward this shared goal of a comprehensive peace. I believe very strongly that it is attainable ... (and) that with your support we can find a way through."

Clinton's speech unveiled a modest new set of aid proposals aimed at building on President Barack Obama's promise in a June address in Cairo to make a "new beginning" on Washington's strained ties with the Islamic world.

But it came after Clinton sparked a new outburst of Arab anger by praising Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's offer of "restraint" on settlements without repeating earlier U.S. calls for a freeze on them, which is the Palestinian position.

Clinton repeated that the United States is committed to reaching a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians, saying this was a key to achieving a peaceful and prosperous future for the region.

Hoping to cast the United States as a helpful partner in development for Muslim communities, Clinton outlined a series of small steps to increase funding for civil society groups, youth empowerment and job promotion.

"We are committed to building ladders of opportunity to help develop the enormous talent that resides in the people of this region," she said.

The programs Clinton announced on Tuesday include a $76 million project to boost economic opportunities in Yemen, a $30 million project for vulnerable young people in Jordan and an entrepreneurship summit in Washington next year to bring Muslim innovators together with U.S. business leaders.

Taken together the new package pales in comparison to the billions of dollars in aid that Washington extends to governments in the region, including both Israel and Egypt.

Obama's Cairo speech had sparked some hope in the Arab world that Washington was ready to take a tougher line with Israel, with the U.S. president saying flatly that Israel should stop building settlements on the West Bank.

Those hopes turned to anger as Washington backed off.

On Monday, Clinton sought to control the damage, saying that her praise on Saturday for Israel's offer of restraint on settlements was aimed at encouraging moves toward dialogue.

Clinton said the Obama administration still believed that Israel's offer fell short of U.S. expectations, and urged both sides to take more positive steps to set the stage for resuming peace talks stalled since December.

"I think President Obama was absolutely clear. He wanted a halt to all settlement activity," Clinton told Al Jazeera television on Tuesday. "And perhaps those of us who work with him and for him could have been clearer in communicating that that is his policy, that is what we're committed to doing".

Clinton was due to travel to Egypt for a meeting with President Hosni Mubarak which was also expected to focus on the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

After Clinton's visit to Jerusalem, Palestinians accused the United States of "back-pedaling" on settlements and said a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian talks was not in sight.

Netanyahu has proposed limiting building for now to some 3,000 settler homes already approved by Israel in the West Bank. He does not regard building in East Jerusalem, annexed in defiance of international opposition, as a settlement.

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      1.   Well, Clinton didn`t contribute much to peace-on-earth... 17:42  |  Esther 03/11/09
      2.   RACISM the most misused word in the dictionary 17:48  |  Mark from Georgia 03/11/09
      3.   Isn`t that what Islam does? 17:48  |  Paul 03/11/09
      4.   Both sides are racist 17:49  |  Anonymous 03/11/09
      5.   Egypt Our Friend and Neighbor 17:55  |  fredyr 03/11/09
      6.   While peace is on hold, we?re losing the demographics war 17:55  |  Rachel Rabin 03/11/09
      7.   statistically Jerusalem is a Jewish city 18:05  |  ben 03/11/09
      8.   Egypt throwing matches at fuel depots 18:18  |  Avi 03/11/09
      9.   Why the fuss now? 18:48  |  Yonatan 03/11/09
      10.   racist 18:50  |  kibishi 03/11/09
      11.   Arab occupied Jerusalem 18:55  |  Chaim Ben Kahan 03/11/09
      12.   new peace proposal 18:59  |  michael 03/11/09
      13.   6# rachel rabin, losing drmographics war 19:14  |  a poot jew 03/11/09
      14.   Obama can expect a firestorm in Congress over any Yemen aid 19:35  |  Dr. L. Brnd 03/11/09
      15.   Islamic domination being resisted 19:58  |  Chaim Ben Kahan 03/11/09
      16.   arik, is that clear enough for you? 20:04  |  BBSNews 03/11/09
      17.   "CAREFUL WHAT WE SAY..." 20:10  |  EL 03/11/09
      18.   Seeking to retain the benefits 20:16  |  RfaelMoshe 03/11/09
      19.   #6 demographic fear tactics 20:17  |  David G 03/11/09
      20.   Jerusalem always Jewish, see census numbers 20:23  |  David 03/11/09
      21.   Egypt ethnically cleansed its Jews - who are they to talk? 20:42  |  Joe Sittizen 03/11/09
      22.   only one way to get a peace deal: cutoff welfare 21:02  |  knows it all 03/11/09
      23.   Yonatan because the zionist are steling so much land 21:03  |  ah duh? 03/11/09
      24.   "$76 million project to boost economic opportunities in Yemen?" 21:05  |  Now I understand. 03/11/09
      25.   Anonymous #5 besides opinion 21:17  |  Gee 03/11/09
      26.   Racism 21:18  |  Rigoletto 03/11/09
      27.   Always nice to see another who knows the meaning 21:33  |  Mark Lincoln 03/11/09
      28.   But Paul u forget 22:02  |  Eli 03/11/09
      29.   Rachel Rabin ,instead of rooting for pals get som children 22:06  |  Absolute Sweden 03/11/09
      30.   Not surprised that someone from Georgia doesn`t know racism 22:31  |  Czarkazem13 03/11/09
      31.   ... so as Chinese settlements in Tibet (20 million Chinese) 23:08  |  Dan 03/11/09
      32.   A Spotlight on Hypercrisy 23:26  |  Michael D. 03/11/09
      33.   Britain Mal-Adminstered her Mandate 23:26  |  *BEN JABO 03/11/09
      34.   #23 ah duh 23:34  |  *BEN JABO 03/11/09
      35.   British settlements in Ireland -`illegal` and `obstacle` to peace 23:48  |  Fair Play 03/11/09
      36.   Yeah, and... 00:01  |  Michael N 04/11/09
      37.   British oipinion is duly noted 00:01  |  17 04/11/09
      38.   Britain unable to convince Arabs to accept Jewish Israel 00:06  |  Sam 04/11/09
      39.   # 20 david 00:21  |  Axel 04/11/09
      40.   MODERATOR, WHERE ARE YOU? 00:24  |  Absolute Dane 04/11/09
      41.   chaim ben kahan 15 01:03  |  potobac 04/11/09
      42.   What country are we talking about 01:25  |  TOBIA 04/11/09
      43.   Britain-`illegal` and `obstacle` Crap 01:34  |  Brod 04/11/09
      44.   violence is the obstacle to peace 01:45  |  Avi 04/11/09
      45.   Break Off Diplomatic Relations 02:25  |  Boyd 04/11/09
      46.   At Last, Some Welcome Words From The Brits 02:56  |  chet 04/11/09
      47.   Frome one jew to another 03:48  |  Jack Fisher 04/11/09
      48.   britians conquest and still occupation of ireland, scotland is il 04:42  |  ralph 04/11/09
      49.   Unilaterl actions in Jerusalem 04:50  |  AlexanderZ 04/11/09
      50.   Arab hypocrisy, finely tuned. 05:12  |  tzivi 04/11/09
      51.   Did I hear Chinese settlements are ilegal? Ofcourse not 06:04  |  Politics 04/11/09
      52.   David in Boston - Jerusalem is not totally Jewish 06:55  |  Palestinian Brit 04/11/09
      53.   David - What about ALL of the land? 07:48  |  Ryan 04/11/09
      54.   #6-13 Hey Pals 08:29  |  Oggy 04/11/09
      55.   English settlements in Scotland and Ireland are illegal ! 09:26  |  Vitaly 04/11/09
      56.   There is nothing illegitimate about Jewish settlements in ... 09:38  |  B. Gold 04/11/09
      57.   Where was the UK when . . . 09:42  |  Zev Davis 04/11/09
      58.   Pax Lewis Carrolliana 09:47  |  sh 04/11/09
      59.   milliband at the mad hatters tea party 10:27  |  vhardman 04/11/09
      60.   Israel`s own high court says all the settlements are illegal 10:40  |  Michael 04/11/09
      61.   #47 Politics says..... 11:06  |  Johnboy 04/11/09
      62.   #47 Jack Fisher - Since you mentioned Obama 18:38  |  *BEN JABO 04/11/09
      63.   Israel`s own high court says all the settlements are illegal 19:27  |  Giovani 04/11/09
      64.   I Have a Dream ! 20:29  |  Martin Rajah 04/11/09
      65.   Settlements are illegal in WB, they should bein ISRAEL 20:37  |  Pierre Lefevbre 04/11/09
      66.   #27;Mark Lincoln, Nice Try Bubba 14:13  |  Mark from Georgia 05/11/09
      67.   Settlements are illegal #56 B. Gold 18:12  |  Ron 05/11/09
      68.   #30; Czarkazem13 MY Point was... 18:26  |  Mark from Georgia 05/11/09
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