Washington, November 05: In an attempt to defuse Arab anger over her pro-Israeli remarks, the US secretary of state said Washington does not accept the legitimacy of Israeli settlement activities on Palestinian territories.
Speaking in Cairo after a Wednesday meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Hillary Clinton said that the US wants a complete freeze on Israeli settlement activities in the occupied West Bank.
She had earlier praised the Israeli proposal of temporary suspension of Jewish settlement expansions during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, describing it as an “unprecedented” settlement concession.
She had also called the Palestinian demand for a full settlement freeze before the resumption of peace talks as a ‘precondition obstructing peace process.’
Her remarks appeared to be an endorsement of the Israeli assertion that talks should start before a complete end to illegal settlement activities.
This apparent U-turn in US settlement policy sparked protests among Arab nations and Palestinians who have repeatedly said that they would agree with the resumption of peace talks only after a full settlement freeze.
—–Agencies