The U.S. president’s message could not have been clearer.
“The time has come for a new realism on the part of all the peoples of the Middle East,” he said, announcing a new U.S. initiative in Middle East policy.
“The United States will not support the use of any additional land for the purpose of settlements … Indeed, the immediate adoption of a settlement freeze by Israel, more than any other action, could create the confidence needed for wider participation in [peace] talks. Further settlement activity is in no way necessary for the security of Israel and only diminishes the confidence of the Arabs that a final outcome can be freely and fairly negotiated.”
“I want to make the American position well understood,” he said. “The purpose of this [initiative] is the peaceful and orderly transfer of authority from Israel to the Palestinian inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza.”
Read Full Article »