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Last update - 19:23 13/11/2009
Top U.S. official: We won't accept partial settlement freeze
By Akiva Eldar, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Hillary Clinton, Israel News 

The United States does not accept continued Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank, a senior U.S. state department official has said, adding that Jerusalem's commitment to restrain settlement activity is not enough.

In an address to the Middle East Institute, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William J. Burns on Tuesday said that the Obama administration does not "accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements."

"We consider the Israeli offer to restrain settlement activity to be a potentially important step, but it obviously falls short of the continuing Roadmap obligation for a full settlement freeze," he said.
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The under secretary said the goal of the Obama administration was to achieve "two states living side by side in peace and security."

"A Jewish state of Israel, with which America retains unbreakable bonds, and with true security for all Israelis; and a viable, independent Palestinian state with contiguous territory that ends the occupation that began in 1967, that ends the daily humiliations of Palestinians under occupation, and that realizes the full and remarkable potential of the Palestinian people," he told the Washington D.C.-based institute.

Burns's comments came despite Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's praise for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's willingness to restrain settlement construction as "unprecedented in the context of prior to negotiations."

She made the statement during a joint press conference with the premier in Jerusalem.

Palestinian officials had said in talks with U.S. diplomats earlier this week in Ramallah, that nothing short of an Israeli commitment to a complete settlement freeze would bring PA President Mahmoud Abbas to reconsider his recently made threats of resignation.

In his speech Tuesday, Burns also said that U.S. pressure on both sides was the only way to restart negotiations, saying that "persistent, hard-headed, day-in-and-day-out, high-level American engagement has also been a critical ingredient for success, from Henry Kissinger's shuttle diplomacy, to Jimmy Carter at Camp David, to Jim Baker on the road to Madrid."

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      1.   No such thing as a partial freeze 15:32  |  Natallie Durson 13/11/09
      2.   Burns is fooling only himself 15:44  |  Josef Trilling 13/11/09
      3.   The Clinton gaffe 15:45  |  Greg Buttler 13/11/09
      4.   "Roadmap obligation" 15:48  |  Nemesis 13/11/09
      5.   Well, that`s what a real professional does... 15:48  |  Johnboy 13/11/09
      6.   Freese settlement 15:50  |  flora 13/11/09
      7.   Settlement freeze? 15:55  |  Brod 13/11/09
      8.   It`s an interesting equation, isn`t it? 15:56  |  Johnboy 13/11/09
      9.   Time to pull out all the stops 16:03  |  Don Boston 13/11/09
      10.   Then Israel should keep building on... the US get off its high 16:12  |  BBB 13/11/09
      11.   Hmmm 16:15  |  Daniel 13/11/09
      12.   see the connection, Burns? 16:16  |  edgar 13/11/09
      13.   Throw the PA a Bone 16:21  |  Eddie 13/11/09
      14.   If Freeze Doesn`t Happen Abbas Done 16:31  |  Jane 13/11/09
      15.   US is the bigger settlement in the world all the native were kill 16:31  |  Dani 13/11/09
      16.   Partial freeze does mean something 16:37  |  Steve 13/11/09
      17.   Top U.S. 16:37  |  The Teacher/Instruct 13/11/09
      18.   What We Need Are More Carters and Bakers 16:38  |  Yaakov Sullivan 13/11/09
      19.   #7 That appears to be a "fact-free fact", Brod 16:39  |  Johnboy 13/11/09
      20.   Israelis will not accept partial terrorism freeze 16:40  |  Joe Sittizen 13/11/09
      21.   The full and remarkable potential of the Palestinian people??? 16:42  |  Jacob 13/11/09
      22.   #1 Natalie Drugson 16:44  |  H 13/11/09
      23.   BB -The US is a voting Member of the UNSC it is the US`s business 16:50  |  CJ 13/11/09
      24.   Thank You USA 18:18  |  Vladek 13/11/09
      25.   White House Keystone Cops 18:21  |  Brent 13/11/09
      26.   Strangest statement, yet to be made. 18:22  |  Stephen. 13/11/09
      27.   Hillary Clinton: Worst Secretary of State ever? 18:23  |  peacelover 13/11/09
      28.   Whoops, forgot about Kissinger. Hillary has competition 18:25  |  peacelover 13/11/09
      29.   #20 Joe Sittizen, there is total freeze on terrorism 19:13  |  Don Boston 13/11/09
      30.   J Trilling - Burns is not just speaking for himself 19:18  |  Don Boston 13/11/09
      31.   dani, no we were not, stop lying, we`re still here... 20:02  |  BBSNews 13/11/09
      32.   All based on a false premise 20:02  |  RfaelMoshe 13/11/09
      33.   Stephen., No it`s not a strange statement at all... 20:10  |  BBSNews 13/11/09
      34.   joe sittizen 20 20:16  |  potobac 13/11/09
      35.   not sure what americans mean by "jewish state of israel"?? 20:19  |  palestinian 13/11/09
      36.   #29, Don Boston, excellent well thought out post... 20:21  |  Silvienne 13/11/09
      37.   what dont you gentiles understand 20:25  |  Joe Smith 13/11/09
      38.   settlement freeze ruse 20:30  |  David 13/11/09
      39.   Israel in deep doo doo 20:53  |  Carrington 13/11/09
      40.   Ah, Mr. Sittizen, that`s interesting 21:09  |  Murray 13/11/09
      41.   Hilary Clinton highlighted US hypocritical policies. 21:19  |  Maureen Ann 13/11/09
      42.   Obama`s vacillations are inadvertently causing 21:20  |  Esther 13/11/09
      43.   BBS, the US cannot make settlements illegal only UNSC can 21:30  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 13/11/09
      44.   Cattle ruminate, and then they bloviate 21:31  |  Mark Lincoln 13/11/09
      45.   Definition of Settlement Freeze important 21:42  |  Reid 13/11/09
      46.   Value of American Security Guarantees 21:54  |  Rabbi Yitzchok Wolf 13/11/09
      47.   Definition of Settlement Freeze important 21:56  |  Reid 13/11/09
      48.   Vladek - ME peace without Israel 22:06  |  Reid 13/11/09
      49.   BBS News - Parsing statements 22:18  |  Reid 13/11/09
      50.   Israel is not a "jewish state" for many reasons 23:03  |  Stephanie Mazerelli 13/11/09
      51.   Sullivan plays the same dudka on illegality 23:21  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 13/11/09
      52.   #34 Neither can the UNSC, Darthie 23:39  |  Johnboy 13/11/09
      53.   Johnboy #8 What do you suggest? A demilitarised Israel? 23:48  |  Peter Williams 13/11/09
      54.   Restrain ? What restrain ??? 00:02  |  David 14/11/09
      55.   #30 Don Boston 00:15  |  Josef Trilling 14/11/09
      56.   Don Boston ,there is no threat from Russia nor has ever been 00:23  |  Absolute Sweden 14/11/09
      57.   The solution 00:29  |  ron 14/11/09
      58.   #34 Darth Zaider (Ed) 00:50  |  BDS 14/11/09
      59.   Darth Zaider 00:52  |  Mark Lincoln 14/11/09
      60.   Don Boston: What a pathetic post 00:56  |  Brad 14/11/09
      61.   A void and vapid statement 00:56  |  Mark Lincoln 14/11/09
      62.   Silvienne re Don Boston #29: replacing one sort of hyperbole with 01:38  |  ivo 14/11/09
      63.   Again Yaakov Sullivan plays the same old dudka on illegality 01:46  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 14/11/09
      64.   Mark Lincoln, have you even read the 4-th Geneva ? 02:02  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 14/11/09
      65.   What part of "settlement freeze" doesn`t Israel understand? 02:11  |  binny 14/11/09
      66.   And you will do what about it? Nothing 02:19  |  John 14/11/09
      67.   Spirit of Jerusalem 02:46  |  Fritz T. 14/11/09
      68.   Darth Zaider #34 03:45  |  stella westwell 14/11/09
      69.   #34 Darth Zaider shares a common misconception (2nd try) 04:26  |  Johnboy 14/11/09
      70.   Hillary`s Gaffe 04:37  |  Nevada_len FL, USA 14/11/09
      71.   #8 johnboy - and the ANSWER is.... 05:22  |  CK Tan 14/11/09
      72.   occupation 1967? 06:17  |  billy jack 14/11/09
      73.   Binny - what Israel understands 06:41  |  Mark Lincoln 14/11/09
      74.   John from sf - wrong 06:43  |  Mark Lincoln 14/11/09
      75.   Our Wonderful State Department 07:37  |  marco 14/11/09
      76.   it is long overdue Israel spreads some of the safety 07:44  |  Miron 14/11/09
      77.   johnboy, king of ridiculous statements 08:25  |  SDHD 14/11/09
      78.   Don Boston, makes it up as he goes along 08:27  |  SDHD 14/11/09
      79.   well there you have it! clearly spelled out so NO one is confuse 08:59  |  eric 14/11/09
      80.   Don Boston - no freeze on terrorism. Kassam yesterday 09:54  |  Joe Sittizen 14/11/09
      81.   GAFF ! Gaff! Gaff ! Who aked you to accept? 12:09  |  Josiah J. Ben David 14/11/09
      82.   UNSC has declared them illegal 13:09  |  Iain 14/11/09
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