US SECRETARY of state Hillary Clinton told Israelis yesterday that an independent Palestinian state was inevitable. She also announced that two American envoys would be sent to Syria.
The Syrian move marks a significant shift in policy from the Bush administration. which froze ties with Damascus, accusing Syria of supporting terrorism and allowing insurgents to cross into Iraq from its territory. Mrs Clinton made the announcement in Jerusalem after talks with Israeli leaders, in her first trip to the region since being appointed secretary of state.
But Mrs Clinton urged caution, saying: “We have no way to predict what the future with our relations concerning Syria might be.” A thaw in US-Syrian relations could lead to the reopening of the stalled peace talks between Israel and Syria, after Damascus indicated that further discussions could only take place with the backing of the Obama administration.
Speaking during a joint news conference with Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni, Mrs Clinton said an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel was inevitable. “We happen to believe that moving towards a two-state solution is in Israel’s best interests.”
Such a policy could put the Obama administration on a collision course with the new right-wing Israeli coalition being formed by prime minister –designate Binyamin Netanyahu, but Mrs Clinton vowed to work with the incoming government.
The Likud leader, who opposes the creation of an independent Palestinian state, said he still found common ground with the secretary of state, and said they would meet again after he formed a coalition. “We need to think creatively in order to move forward and create a different reality, both in terms of security and politically, and this is a common goal for both sides,” Mr Netanyahu added.
The most pressing issue for the Israeli leadership was the possibility of Iran acquiring a nuclear bomb. Israeli officials pressed Mrs Clinton to set a time limit on the diplomatic contacts the new administration intends to launch with Teheran.
Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak said the contacts should start quickly and end quickly, and if the diplomacy failed to halt the Iranian nuclear programme, the international community, including Russia and China, should impose harsh economic sanctions on Teheran.
Mrs Clinton tried to ease Israeli concerns, saying diplomacy should not be confused with softness. “When we talk about engagement with Iran, do not be in any way confused, our goal remains the same: to dissuade and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and continuing to fund terrorism.”
As the secretary of state met Israeli leaders, Israeli jets again bombed tunnels on the border between Gaza and Egypt in response to ongoing rocket fire into Israel. Mrs Clinton urged Israel to reopen the border crossings to ease the humanitarian plight of the Palestinians, but stressed that the key to restoring calm in Gaza was an end to the militant rocket fire.
Today Mrs Clinton travels to the West Bank for talks with Palestinian leaders.