Clinton To Meet Netanyahu, Abbas This Weekend In Middle East

ISLAMABAD — The State Department says U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders over the weekend to push ahead with efforts to restart stalled peace talks.

Spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters accompanying Clinton on a trip to Pakistan that the secretary would see Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas separately at locations in the Mideast that have yet to be determined.

Crowley said the meetings were aimed at trying to resume negotiations and would take place ahead of previously planned meetings Clinton has scheduled with Arab foreign ministers in Morocco.

Comments

[stardust835]

I hope she is aware of the Chistian Palestinian students that are being taken at West Bank checkpoints, detained, driven through Israel to the Gaza Border blindfolded and handcuffed and dumped.
One student is only 2 months away from graduation. Her family is from Gaza and she didn't visit them since 2005 for fear she couldn't get back to Bethlehem University to finish her degree. It didn't matter.

http://www.bethlehem.edu/archives/2009/2009_062.shtml

[Justtellthetruth]

I hope she is coming with a lot more stick than carrots this time for the Netanyahu administration. This particular administration is going to have to be dragged kicking and screaming to any sort of reasonable terms. They are settlers and settlers advocates. They are inherently adverse to to peace and must be forced through removal of aid, sanctions, and embargoes if necessary, and It is in the US' (and Israels) best interest to do so soon.

[duxguts]

I hoped she asked a Palestinian if he could spare a glass of water.

[riverhouse]

Hillary Clinton is making America proud. Her intelligence, her forthrightness, her courage to speak the truth is real Americanism and I am really happy to see her flourish in this leadership role.

[alysheba 3]

Does Hillary and her President have enough guts to hold Israel to international law, and admit the truth of Israel's war crimes and crimes against humanity? If not, then the trip is a waste. Same as every other trip.

[digdeeper]

So Clinton is going to try and restart the peace process.
Get real lady. You might as well stay at home and get some rest because all the time Bibi is in control you're wasting your time.

[GZLives]

"because all the time Bibi is in control you're wasting your time."

Bibi?
How about these folks?

"Tens of thousands of Islamic Jihad loyalists held a rally in Gaza on Friday to commemorate the group's slain founder.
Holding plastic models of rockets and wearing masks and mock suicide bomber's vests, the members chanted "death to Israel" and "Muhammad's army will be back to wipe out the Hebrew state."
An Islamic Jihad leader, Nafez Azzam, called on the crowd Friday to reject negotiations with Israel and support violent resistance".

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1256799051562&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[Tony Andrews]

And, if Israel had been laid waste, women and children killed, infrastructure devastated, essential supplies disrupted, Israelis would, of course, NOT be holding any rallies, chanting "death to Gaza" and other slogans, and supporting violent resistance, now would they?

Or are you completely naive?

[Mollabaji]

These people are under occupation and their basic human rights (like having water to drink, their homes being demolished) are being violated by criminals like BiBi.
the are fighting for their freedom and as such you may call them freedom fighters.

[MIKEinNYC]

The world community created the middle east dilemma in 1948 when the United Nations created Israel as a safe-haven for persecuted Jews.

if the problem cannot be solved by the principals, (and they've had 60 years to do it), then the world community should take the problem-solving out of their hands and impose a reasonable and fair solution upon the region.

[TheLonelyGod]

I would actually disagree. It is only because the UN, the Arab Nations, America, the former Soviet Union, etc, were all involved and making power plays that this conflict has dragged on for so long.

If the problem cannot be solved with US or UN interference, remove all diplomatic aid from *both sides* and let them come to a solution on their own.

[eileenflemingWAWA]

Great Idea!

During Fiscal Year 2009, the U.S. is providing Israel with at least $7.0 million per day in military aid and $0 in military aid to the Palestinians.

The US has given more money to Israel than to any other country. The Congressional Research Service’s conservative estimate of total cumulative US aid to Israel from 1949 through 2009 is $106.1647 billion.

http://www.ifamericansknew.org/stats/usaid.html

During the 23 days of Israeli assault on Gaza, "Washington provided F-16 fighter planes, Apache helicopters, tactical missiles, and a wide array of munitions, including white phosphorus and DIME. The weapons required for the Israeli assault were decided upon in June 2008, and the transfer of 1,000 bunker-buster GPS-guided Small Diameter Guided Bomb Units 39 (GBU-39) were approved by Congress in September. The GBU 39 bombs were delivered to Israel in November (prior to any claims of Hamas cease fire violation!) for use in the initial air raids on Gaza.

Israel has consistently misused U.S. weapons in violation of America's Arms Export Control and Foreign Assistance Acts.

The US is the largest arms supplier to Israel and under a Bush negotiated deal with Israel; the US will provide another $30 billion in military aid to Israel over the next decade.

http://www.wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1459&Itemid=225

[MarcusT]

No, thats not how these things work. The west made a mess and they will ultimately embargo it back to sustainability. If Israel had any resouses they could always cozy up to the Chinese before it's too late.

[gakabani]

WHat about making Palestinians Israeli citizens?

[Mollabaji]

correction of a fallacy: The United Nations DID NOT create the state of Israel. The Security Council NEVER voted on the issue. Based on the Charter, the action of the General Assembly would become legal only if the SEC.C. also voted for it. Thus, from the inception, Israel has been an illegal entity held together by use of force and the Amierican support.

[duxguts]

The world community may have created it, but our government is perpetuating it by giving Israel money, weapons and political cover.

[eileenflemingWAWA]

On February 1, 2007, Hillary gushed for AIPAC, "Both Israelis and Americans know so well, a democracy is far more than just holding elections. Democracy has to spring from an active and open citizenry dedicated to tolerance, to respect for differences, to the rule of law, to policies that lift us up not tear us down as fellow human beings, and to the value of human life."

"Israel is a not a democracy but is an Ethnocracy, meaning a country run and controlled by a national group with some democratic elements but set up with Jews in control and structured to keep them in control." -Jeff Halper, American Israeli, Founder and Coordinator of Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.

The UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict Goldstone Report: Conclusions and recommendations to the international community call for action:

1975:
(a) The Mission recommends that the States parties to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 should start criminal investigations in national courts, using universal jurisdiction, where there is sufficient evidence of the commission of grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949. Where so warranted following investigation, alleged perpetrators should be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with internationally recognized standards of justice.

[d] The Mission recommends that States involved in peace negotiations between Israel and representatives of the Palestinian people, especially the Quartet, should ensure that respect for the rule of law, international law and human rights assumes a central role in internationally sponsored peace initiatives.

[MIKEinNYC]

"Israel is a not a democracy but is an Ethnocracy, meaning a country run and controlled by a national group with some democratic elements but set up with [the national group] in control and structured to keep them in control."

Seems to me that you can make this very same "ethnocracy" statement about any nation-state such as France, Ireland, Italy, China, Egypt, etc.

[eileenflemingWAWA]

Israel claims to be the only democracy in the Middle East.

American taxpayers provide to the state of Israel, "$1.8 billion a year in military aid and $1.2 billion in economic aid, plus another $1 billion or so in miscellaneous grants, mostly in military supplies, from various U.S. agencies. Tax exempt contributions destined to Israel bring up the total to over $5 billion annually.

"Financed with U.S. aid at a cost of $1.5 million per mile, the Israeli wall prevents residents from receiving health care and emergency medical services. In other areas, the barrier separates farmers from their olive groves which have been their families' sole livelihood for generations." [Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Page 43, Jan/Feb. 2007]

http://www.wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=411&Itemid=138

International Law states occupation is to be temporary and that the occupiers are not to transfer their population into occupied territory. What RIGHT has anyone to put a fence up on somebody else's property and deny them the right to a life, liberty and freedom?

[TheLonelyGod]

You can. It's just that double standards are one of the anti-Zionists' favorite tools.

[MarcusT]

2007 IDI survey:

Poll: 62% want Arab emigration Annual survey shows Israel continues to decline in democracy index; nearly one third of respondents say Jewish majority required for crucial national decisions, almost two thirds want to encourage Arabs to leave the country Neta Sela Published: 05.09.06, 07:46 / Israel News A total of 62 percent of Israelis want the government to encourage local Arabs to leave the country, according to the 2006 democracy index released Tuesday by the Israel Democracy Institute. Only 14 percent of respondents said ties between Arabs and Jews are good, while 29 percent said a Jewish majority is required for decisions of crucial national significance.

[Lutfi]

Maybe she could tell netanyahu we know you game plan , you tried that with my husband, its not going to work, and tell abbas maybe he should find his guts for a change and care about the other Palestinian who do not have connection, and tel hamas if they would like to join the republican party since they really do not know or have any idea on how to govern .

[MIKEinNYC]

I have to laugh.

Diplomats and politicians with no imagination have been trying to solve the middle east problem diplomatically for 60 years and it cannot be done. Did you ever hear that to keep doing something the same way and expecting different results is insane?

The fact is the middle east problem is a legal problem. The United Nations took property from Palestinian Arabs in order to create a safe haven for persecuted Jews and the UN never paid just compensation to the Palestinian Arabs for their losses. It`s no wonder that the Arabs harbor resentment. The Jews haven't had too great either.

You know what you get when you take someone`s property for no money? 60 years of war.

I don`t want to hear that Arabs left voluntarily. I leave my property voluntarily all the time. In doing so my property rights are not relinquished.

The UN needs to set up a Middle East Compensation Commission where people, Jews too, who lost property due to Israel`s creation can come, present claims and get justly compensated in exchange for a release of claims.

[WilliamL]

Outstanding.

Very good.

A big star for that one.

[Tony Andrews]

Great post, Mike.

Israel is, of course, stealing ever more land in the West Bank. building up ever more resentment and animosity, and acting as the best Recruiting Sergeant that extremist Palestinian groups could wish for.

What is really getting to me at the moment, is my recently coming across "The Spiegel Database" which is based on material garnered from the Israeli Government, and the discovery that a lot of the illegal occupations are illegal EVEN IN ISRAELI LAW.

[EdwardMRoche]

Complete waste of time and money.

When the people there want peace, they are smart enough to do it themselves.

Meanwhile, everyone continues to feed at the trough, generously filled by struggling US taxpayers who have zero strategic interest in the outcome one way or the other.

[KIVPossum]

Unless she is there to tell Netanyahu that the US will immediately cut off all aid to Israel and will recluse itself from any UN discussion or vote concerning Israel, then it's a waste of jet fuel.

[Zoe1]

It will be a waste of jet fuel. She won't lay a finger on Israel.

[vascopyjama]

Yep!

[BlackLight]

I've been unsuccessful posting comments concerning Israel in these many forums. I'll just say that I don't trust Hilary and never have, and I'm a progressive.

[stardust835]

So has the settlement expansion in the West Bank stopped?

I remember President Obama saying the siege of Gaza must end and there must be a freeze in West Bank settlements.

Did that happen?

[alysheba 3]

Nope, as usual the Americans continue to allow the illegal behavior of the Israeli government. That is why the US is useless as a mediator. They cave to Israel every time.

[Macready]

totally agree alysheba3 . . . the US is much too soft on israel . . . and is thereby complicit . . . sanctions, trade embargoes, freezing funds, etc have to be put into place otherwise israel and Washington will continue the same old dance . . while the Palestinians continue to suffer

[duxguts]

She's going to ask Netanyahu for his Christmas shopping order that the American taxpayers are going to pay for while they are losing their jobs and houses.

[dieselis]

It's the land where everything but peace gets a chance. Are we to expect change or a different resultant. Its been the same story for sixty years and the meter continues to run. This ones the charm but so were all the others.

[CigarGod]

I wonder when she's going to meet with the other side......