US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Arrives In Israel

By Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency

London --- March 3, 2009...... US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived In Israel and was welcomed by a fragmented but strong, democratic political system. As new Israel elections have brought about the appointment of right wing Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu to form a government, former political moderate Kadima PM candidate and outgoing Israel Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni kept the Clinton visit well focused.

Clinton's Israel visit, her first as US Secretary of State, highlighted the issues of Palestinian statehood and a threatening nuclear Iran.

During meetings in Jerusalem Clinton reasserted US President Obama's commitment to working towards a two-state solution to resolve the Israel Palestinian conflict.

Clinton said that establishing a Palestinian state was not only in the best interests of Israel but was an "inescapable" reality. Many in Israel would agree with this demographic accessment as if Israel wishes to remain a Jewish democratic state it will need to create a state for those Palestinians who would choose moderate Islam over Judaism. And a moderate, stable Palestinian state which recognized Israel and her right to exist would also serve to confront and eliminate Hamas and Islamic Jihad whose ultimate goal is to destroy the state of Israel.

After having left Gaza in a unilateral peace move three years ago and the breaking of numerous cease-fires which the UN ignores, Israel continues to sustain and suffer over 120 terror missile attacks from Hamas Islamic terrorists in Gaza. Hamas, following in the foot prints of Iran, has declared that they are not interested in land but rather Islamic Jihad, a holy war against all Jews and Christians.

"There must be a deadline to dialogue with Iran," Netanyahu and Israel Defense Minister Ehud Barak both asked of Clinton in separate meetings with her today.

Netanyahu said this should be done since, according to Israeli estimates, the Islamic Republic will be able to produce a nuclear bomb by the end of 2009 or beginning of 2010.

Clinton met with Barak immediately after Netanyahu. They were joined by Israel's ambassador to the United States, Salai Meridor, head of the Defense Ministry's Security-Diplomatic Bureau, Amos Gilad, Defense Ministry Chief of Staff, Michael Herzog and Barak's military secretary, Eitan Dangut.

Earlier in the day Clinton met with Israel President Shimon Peres at the Yad Veshem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. She told Peres that the new US administration would stand by any Israel government that comes out of the ongoing Israel cabinet-making process.

"The government that will be formed in Israel will be committed to the peace process and to prior agreements," responded Peres, who tasked ten days ago right-wing leader Benjamin Netanyahu with forming a new government.

In a joint press conference with Tzipi Livni and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Livni stated: "There is a new administration in the United States of America and, of course, a new government in Israel that is going to be formed during the next few days. But it is not less important to reiterate and to emphasize that the relationship between Israel and the United States of America is based on shared values, and an understanding of the common interests, the threats and the ways to confront and to meet these challenges together. This transcends parties and governments, and is based on an understanding of the nature of the values."

Livni continued: "On the basis of these shared values and the need to fight anti-Semitism, I would like to express not only the government's appreciation but the appreciation of the people of Israel to the stand that you took against participation in the Durban conference. This demonstrates the values of the United States of America. It was a symbolic decision, and I hope to see more states following this decision. There is a need to act according to a dual strategy: On one hand, to confront terror, to act against the extremism that is represented here in the region by Iran which poses this threat, trying to attain nuclear weapons. Iran expresses its extreme ideology, which is not connected in any way to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. On the other hand, there is a need, not less important, to continue the peace process between Israel and the legitimate Palestinian government, according to the vision of two states for two peoples. This vision represents the interests of Israel and the values of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state and, at the end of the day, represents the idea of living together in peace in this region.

Clinton responded that the United States shares Israel's concerns over Iran's desire for nuclear weapons and its funding of terror organizations such as Hamas and Hizbullah.

Outgoing Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with Clinton this evening and stated: "I expect that our discussion will undoubtedly deal with the bilateral relations between our countries, as well as regional issues. The Secretary of State has arrived here at the Prime Minister’s Residence after a day of discussions with the President of the State of Israel and with my colleagues, and I am certain that she heard about our concerns and hopes from all of them. I will share our increasing concern about the Iranian threat with her. The position of Israel, as I have already outlined, is that Israel cannot tolerate a nuclear Iran, and I heard President Obama and the Secretary of State that they resolutely object to a nuclear Iran. We will discuss ways in which we can ensure this."

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat urged US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to move the US Embassy to the capital. Barkat's added that he was "confident" that Clinton's tenure as head of the US State Department would bring "positive and productive developments" to the relationship between the US, Israel and Jerusalem.

"Accordingly, I proposed that Secretary Clinton start by moving the US Embassy in Israel home to Jerusalem."

Prior to coming to Israel, Clinton stated in Egypt a diplomatic overture to Iran, one of the central promises of President Obama's election campaign, is unlikely to persuade Tehran to give up its nuclear ambitions.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates in a private meeting last Monday that it is "very doubtful" a U.S. approach will persuade Iran to relent, said a senior State Department official.

In an attempt to pull Syria away from a Western confrontation with Iran, Clinton said today that the United States will send two envoys to Syria for "preliminary conversations." Clinton said: "We are going to be sending two officials to Syria. It is a worthwhile effort to begin these preliminary conversations. There are a number of issues we have between Syria and the United States as well as the larger regional concerns that Syria obviously poses."

 

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