Clinton Sympathizes With Palestinians In Confirmation Hearing

Hillary Clinton sent a message to Israel Tuesday during her Secretary of State confirmation hearing testimony, telling the Foreign Relations Committee that because of the conflict in Gaza "we have ...been reminded of the tragic humanitarian costs of conflict in the Middle East, and pained by the suffering of Palestinian and Israeli civilians."

Mainstream American politicians are famously reluctant to utter the words "suffering" and "Palestinian" in the same sentence. By breaking from that tradition, Clinton appeared to send a signal to Israel that that it would not have a free hand to operate in the Middle East.

President-elect Barack Obama found out the hard way early in the campaign what heat can come to a candidate who expresses sympathy for Palestinian suffering. He was quoted in the Des Moines Register as saying that "[n]obody is suffering more than the Palestinian people." The report said that Obama considered the suffering "a result of stalled peace efforts with Israel."

Asked later in a debate about the remark, he backpedaled. "Well, keep in mind what the remark actually, if you had the whole thing, said. And what I said is nobody has suffered more than the Palestinian people from the failure of the Palestinian leadership to recognize Israel, to renounce violence, and to get serious about negotiating peace and security for the region," Obama explained.

Clinton went on to say that the current crisis "must only increase our determination" to seek a two-state solution.

"The President-elect and I understand and are deeply sympathetic to Israel's desire to defend itself under the current conditions, and to be free of shelling by Hamas by rockets. However, we have also been reminded of the tragic humanitarian costs of conflict in the Middle East, and pained by the suffering of Palestinian and Israeli civilians," Clinton said. "This must only increase our determination to seek a just and lasing peace agreement that brings real security to Israel; normal and positive relationships with its neighbors; and independence, economic progress, and security to the Palestinians in their own state."

Comments

[Magenta]

Funny why Israel gets a pass by its supporters who do not condemn Israel for not doing more to avoid aggravating the refugee problem in the Middle East.

There are 8 million Arab refugees expelled by Israel aggression and occupation of Palestine, Gaza Strip, West Bank, Golan Heights. Tthe number of Palestinian refugees alone, the result of Israeli land grabs and military aggression, stands at 4.75 million by June 2004, a figure provided by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA):

Palestinian Refugees An Overview
http://www.arts.mcgill.ca/mepp/new_prrn/background/index.htm

You can find out more at the UNRWA website, a UN agency specifically created to tackle the Palestinian refugee problem caused by Israel, the largest refugee problem in the world"s history:

http://www.un.org/unrwa/

[bbrecht]

Its a terrible headline! Sympathy? Demands an immediate ceasefire and a sitting down with parties on both sides-- sorry but Hamas is the elected government in Gaza. This is a crisis it is not helpful to refuse to talk to one side. Nor is it helpful to feel sympathy when you are in a position to call for an immediate halt to the violence. Over 1000 dead and counting.

[11907281]

The headline should read - "Clinton empathizes with Israel and pity's the Palestinians." One token mention of the Palestinians & Israeli suffering while spending the rest of the time defending Israel is not sympathy but an attempt to look human, a failed attempt IMO.

[sixx]

Clinton has misplaced sympathy. One must demonize the dead to give killing acceptance.

[Discipulus04]

you are clutching at mere straws if you think a statement at a confirmation hearing is going to herald the beginning of an even-handed approach in the region

[middletonpink]

Goodbye Moto - Hello Human Rights



I'm Hanging Up on Motorola and will not purchase another Motorola product until Motorola withdraws support for Israel's apart heid policies by:



* Ending its production and sales of fuses for all weap ons to Is rael.

* Ending its production and sales of all communication devices to the Is raeli military including all radar detection devices.

* Ending its production and sales of all products that aid and support Is rael"s illegal "separation barrier" and settlements.

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/641/t/6225/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=1344

[ericjohnson]

How many more people will have to die before israelis will be satisifed and before the world will wake up. The count is already more than 900. Just imagine what will americans do and if Canadians or Mexicans or Arabs for that slaughter more than 900 of their poeple? And all of this blood is being spilled by american supplied weapons with american tax dollars. And then we wonder why do they hate us?

[xxnounxx]

over 1000 today and 5000 injured ( not scratches and sprains) more like blinded,legs aem amputayted.
and eith this white illeagl phosphour bombs,that where used in lebanon too,one burns to the bone,but nothing happens to the clothes,andwho ever does not die from it,end up most probably getting cancer in the future...TELL ME THIS IS NOT weapons of mass destruction.and they complain about iran,when isrealis cannot be trusted in having them.

[vinny]

Because everyone is so fond of bad analogies, here's one for the Israeli/Hamas apologists to discuss:

Say your neighbor maliciously parks his car in front of your driveway making you late for work every morning. You've tried calling the sheriff, but he doesn't do anything about it because your neighbor is a big campaign donor. Your boss finally fires you, so now you got no economy for yourself or your kids. The next morning, you got a job interview and you rush out the door but you find that your neighbor has blockaded your driveway again. What do you do?

A) Write him another strongly worded letter telling him not to block your driveway again.

B) Take your grand pappy's bazooka and launch a few rounds into his kitchen.

You've got two choices. Pick one and explain.

[propitiousmoment]

You don't launch a bazooka into his kitchen. You drive your tank through his car.

[vinny]

Your tank is out of gas.

[bostongreen]

I would move.

[xxnounxx]

very cowardly indeed

[MorpheusLV]

The problem is Hamas. How anyone can call 5000 rockets striking into the heart of Israel in a year 'defensive' is beyond my comprehension. Any country firing rockets, mortars, or even firing guns at people across the border is an act of war. Any country being attacked in such a manner has the right to respond accordingly. It was Hamas that would not extend the truce, essentially declaring war on Israel. The defenders of Hamas seem to think that it's ok for Israelis to be subjected to missile attack, property damage, mass terror, and suicide attacks.. and not have the right to protect themselves or strike back. Hamas pulled the tiger's tail by ending the truce and firing 80 rockets a day into Israel and now they are whining that the tiger is hurting them. The only way for the peace process to move forward is through diplomatic means. Both sides need to make gestures to promote trust and goodwill. Until Hamas is willing to recognize Israel's right to exist, at least in principle, there can be no peace and the two sides should be allowed to fight it out. Israel's demands are not extreme. They basically amount to... "stop firing rockets at civilians". Hamas' demands.. amount to... "open the crossings so we can send in suicide bombers instead of missiles" :-|

[vinny]

blockades are acts of war too...

[propitiousmoment]

Thanks you beat me to it.

[LeLoup]

A conflict that has lasted for decades as a simple and unique reason...Hamas.

Very convincing argument. Logic has been redefined.

Thank you for this awesome contribution to the advancement of mankind

[coreyishere]

You might want to read this post regarding the cease fire.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/09/israel-rejected-hamas-cea_n_156639.html

[coreyishere]

P.S. You might also want to scroll down and read the links provided by motherofpeace on this page.

[cobobs]

Both sides are wrong and right. This thing has been going on for so long, and everyone has a good argument. An adult just needs to step in and stop the children.

[stell]

Another misleading headline.

[Ron1951]

CHANGE is possible without sacrificing the safety of the Israeli people.

CHANGE is needed in the approach to this volatile situation because old suggestions have not gotten off the ground.

Obama and Clinton have just declared that there will be CHANGE in the behavior of the warring parties if they ever want to solve their ever-deepening problems.

[stell]

So what do both sides have to give up. We are constantly hearing about what once side must do.

[sharonh]

I am sad to see the administration pursue a two-state solution when it is so obviously not the best answer. These people could live together with a well-trained, well-funded police force to enforce the laws equally. Isr, however, will not be absorbed as a minority and so, again, a minority will dictate the terms for the majority. I am glad, however, to hear symphathy expressed for the suffering of the Palestinian people and am hopeful this criminal treatment of an entire people will soon change for the better.

[pmag88]

Regarding the current battles in Gaza, I feel the same about this one as I did about Lebanon. I don't think it's going to win Israel any new friends, and I don't see how it's going to make things better. As for Hamas, I don't like their tactics but seeing as Israel and the U.S. both worked to undermine Fatah in hopes the Palestinians would eventually vote in a government more willing to accept things the way they were, who's fault is it really? Perhaps, (as every U.S. president in recent history has requested) stopping the settlements in the west bank and some other changes might get the Palestinians to elect a more moderate government, but who knows. Personally, I think the the U.S. and other nations need to put conditions on any support we provide based not on ideology, religious beliefs, intimidation, greed or immediate need. After all, whatever wrong we condone today we will inherit tommorrow.

[xxnounxx]

Thats why isreal gave orders to its spies in lebanon to launch a couple of missiles into occupied palestine,this way the angry world will have a little sympthy for isreal ( who bought the copy rights to the word VICTIM)

[Freenation]

Clinton can show her seriousness by canceling the aid check to Israel for 2009...and instead we can use this money here in USA....can she do this..absolutely not...this is why she was pushed for this post by her supporters in AIPAC....

[xxnounxx]

No she cant and will not,AIPAC will bring out dome scandal about her they have in their archives ,like they did with president clinton.

what i think is a great idea,is america abandon israel,give same eqaula amount of arms to palestinians,let both side fight each other,and winner takes all.

[pmag88]

Don't know if this list is correct because I found it on the Internet, but these are countries which supposedly have yet to recognize Israel’s right to exist.

Algeria, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Guinea, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Cuba, North Korea, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Pakistan, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen

Most of these countries do business with Israel, the U.S. and the rest of the world, and some of these countries are also allies of the U.S in the so-called war on terror. My point, just because a country doesn't officially recognize another country doesn't necessarily mean that war is imminent or that relations have to be totally confrontational. The other point I would make is that the middle east states that do recognize Israel must be brought in to assist in any negotiations towards a lasting resolution of these conflicts.

[motherforpeace]

Don't for get Hamas' recognition which is contingent on Isreal's recognition of the right for a Palestinian state to exist. (2006)

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSL1041507520070111
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/01/29/hamas.interview/

[xxnounxx]

yes your correct,,but missed out many african countries and some south american countries.

[xxnounxx]

oh venezuella threw out its isreali ambassedor,and today bolivia did the same