WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the country’s largest pro-Israel lobby on Monday that the Israeli-Palestinian status quo was “unsustainable,” while defending her recent criticism of east Jerusalem housing as in Israel’s interest to bring about peace.
“It is our devotion to this outcome – two states for two peoples, secure and at peace – that led us to condemn the announcement of plans for new construction in east Jerusalem,” she told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee annual conference, which came on the heels of some of the worst tension between the two countries in years after the new housing plan was announced during US Vice President Joe Biden’s recent trip to Jerusalem.
“This was not about wounded pride. Nor is it a judgment on the final status of Jerusalem, which is an issue to be settled at the negotiating table,” Clinton said of the US’s strong condemnation of the Ramat Shlomo construction plan, which she labeled an “insult” in the media. “This is about getting to the table, creating and protecting an atmosphere of trust around it – and staying there until the job is finally done.”
She argued those talks are urgently needed because demography, technology and ideology help make maintaining the status quo impossible.
Clinton pointed to the violence Israel finds itself under, criticizing Hamas and Hizbullah for launching rockets at Israel.
“Behind these terrorist organizations and their rockets, we see the destabilizing influence of Iran,” she said. “Reaching a two-state solution will not end all these threats, you and I know that, but failure to do so gives our extremist foes a pretext to spread violence, instability, and hatred.”
While calling for Palestinians to end incitement, and praising Prime Minister Netanyahu – who has apologized for the timing of the east Jerusalem announcement – for embracing a two-state solution and easing movement in the West Bank, she also said the US wants Israel to build trust “by demonstrating respect for the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians, stopping settlement activity, and addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”
Clinton’s message on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was received politely if not enthusiastically by most of the 7,500 or so AIPAC activists at her Monday morning speech. Despite the recent tensions, there was no obvious booing or other voicing of disapproval, and several of her comments on the subject received some applause.
Her statements on Iran, however, garnered much more enthusiastic backing.
“The United States is determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons,” she said to one of a handful of standing ovations. “Our aim is not incremental sanctions, but sanctions that will bite.”
Clinton began by stressing the strength and importance of the US-Israel relationship, despite the recent disagreements.
“For President Obama, for me, and for this entire administration, our commitment to Israel’s security and Israel’s future is rock solid, unwavering, enduring and forever,” she declared, receiving sustained applause. “A strong and secure Israel is vital to our own strategic interests. We know that the forces that threaten Israel also threaten the United States.”
Clinton was preceded by AIPAC Executive Director Howard Kohr, who
received a standing ovation himself when he declared, “Jerusalem is not
a settlement.”
He also pushed back against what he called “the reductionist view that
the relationship between the United States and Israel rests on
resolving the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.”
He called the notion “specious and insidious,” as well as dangerous, and continued, “we must refute it.”
Kohr also called for the US and Israel to move past their recent row.
“It is time to reduce the tension, time to set aside the past week and pledge to work to solve problems together,” he said.
His remarks were more measured than those of Lee Rosenberg, the new
AIPAC president, who received an enthusiastic standing ovation Sunday
evening when stressed to the crowd, “Allies should work out differences
privately.”
He said that “in any relations mistakes are going to happen,” adding,
“how friends disagree can determine the course of our relationship.”