Isn't it reassuring to know that Madame Hillary doesn't take a day off? Or not...! Here's the transcript of Bibi's and Hillary's brief comments to the press after their brief tête à tête this morning...
QUESTION: Madam Secretary, can I ask you a small question (inaudible)?
SECRETARY CLINTON: A small question? (Laughter.)
QUESTION: A little one.
SECRETARY CLINTON: A little one.
QUESTION: Why would you – why do you think the building in Jerusalem is counterproductive if it has been going on for more than 40 years now?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we’re going to be talking about everything and I will save my comments beyond what I’ve already said to talk to the prime minister. I’m very pleased to be here and to have this opportunity to discuss with him how we’re going to move forward in the process.
PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: Well, I’m very happy that we have the opportunity to actually meet. We’ve been talking on the phone quite intensively over the last few weeks. The last time we met was in Cairo and Jerusalem – in Sharm el-Sheikh and Jerusalem in the (inaudible) of direct negotiations. We’ve been talking and will talk today about how to resume them to continue this process to get the historic agreement with peace and security between us and the Palestinians. I would like to add that we also hope to broaden it to many other Arab countries. So this is our common goal. We’re quite serious about doing it and we want to get on with it, so you’ll have to stop asking questions.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) the resumption of the peace talks soon?
SECRETARY CLINTON: That’s what we’re going to be discussing. We’re both very committed to it. I know and I’ve said repeatedly that the prime minister and President Abbas are both very committed to the two-state solution and we’re going to find a way forward.
QUESTION: Is there a formula? Is there a formula (inaudible)?
SECRETARY CLINTON: You must have a million pictures of us doing the handshake. (Laughter.)
QUESTION: Is there a formula that (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: Thank you.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you all very much.
Yes, what is the formula moving forward...? A simple enough question don't you think? Handshakes at photo-ops doesn't quite cut it, Madame...
Clinton vows to find 'way forward' for Middle East peace
...Clinton vowed to find "a way forward", while Netanyahu said "a historic agreement" with the Palestinians was still possible. [...]
Ahead of the Clinton-Netanyahu talks at a New York hotel, Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas said he would hold US President Barack Obama to his pledge to seek the creation of a Palestinian state within a year.
"We consider this statement to be a commitment by President Obama, not just a slogan, and we hope that next year he won't say to us 'we apologise, we can't,'" Abbas said.
The Palestinians have refused to hold talks since Israel ended a freeze on settler construction.
But Clinton commented at the start of the meeting that "the prime minister and president Abbas are both very committed to a two-state solution and we are going to find a way forward."
"We're going to be talking about everything," she added.
Netanyahu said: "We will be talking about how to resume and continue this process to get a historic agreement with peace and security between us and the Palestinians."
"We also hope to broaden it to many other Arab countries... we are quite serious about doing it and we want to get on with it," he added.
Hmmm, 'broaden it to many other Arab countries'...?
Something along these lines Bibi, perchance...?
Israeli media sources have reported that steps are being taken toward holding a right-wing Israeli conference to address the issue of changing Jordan into a nation-state for the Palestinian people, with no consideration to Jordan's sovereignty.
In its Monday (8.11.2010) issue, Haaretz reported that a large number of right-wing Israeli figures will discuss a plan to demand that the Israeli government dismiss the principle of the "two-state solution" because it "will pose an existential threat to Israel" should it ever be implemented. Alternatively, the conference will propose to change Jordan into a nation state for the Palestinian people.
Spooky, No...? But I digress...
Now, getting back to the Peace Farce, Abu Mazen, quickly folded like the cheap lawn chair that he is...
Abbas: Mideast peace is more important than settlement building
Speaking at ceremony marking anniversary of Arafat's death, Abbas reiterates Palestinian refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
...President Abbas said that peace was more important than building more settlements and from what he called "narrow interests," such as maintaining Netanyahu's right-leaning coalition.
"The children of Israel and Palestine must be taste the flavor of coexistence, stability and mutual respect, before missing out on such an opportunity," Abbas said, reiterating the Palestinian refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
The Palestinian president also said a final-status agreement would not be signed before all of the Palestinian prisoners would be released from Israeli jails.
"I challenge anyone who says we did not implement all our obligations," he said. "We met all our obligations, but Israel did not implement even one of its obligations." [...]
"I said we will go to the Security Council and they started saying that it was a unilateral action even before I went," he said.
"Israel is doing unilateral actions daily in its construction of the separation wall and the settlements, but this is not called unilateral," he added.
So why are you still at the table, Abu Mazen...? Maybe I can count a 150 million reasons to do so...! And again I digress...
Interestingly, our
US to boost weapons stockpile in Israel: report
The United States is to significantly increase the amount of military equipment held in Israel as part of a move to upgrade security ties between the two allies, press reports said on Thursday.
The move, which will see an extra 400-million-dollars worth of smart bombs and other precision weaponry and equipment moved to Israel over the next two years, was approved last week by the US Congress, the Israeli correspondent of Defence News reported.
The upgrade will see the value of US military equipment stockpiled in Israel rise to one billion dollars in 2011, with another 200 million to be added in 2012, the paper said. In 2007, the stockpile was valued at 800 million dollars. Such equipment can be used by US forces throughout the world but also by the host country, under the terms of the US foreign aid law governing reserve stockpiles for allies.
Bunker busters away...! *gah*
Now, in a poignant tale of the true Reality on the ground for the Palestinians, as Abu Mazen was pounding the podium at one Arafat memorial, at another...
Thirty students under the age of 14 suffered tear-gas inhalation Thursday when an organized march commemorating the death of former president Yasser Arafat came into proximity with an Israeli patrol vehicle.
The children, part of a group of 300 marching from the school toward the town of Beit Ummar in Hebron, threw stones at a military vehicle, an Israeli army spokesman said, prompting the use of riot dispersal mechanisms from soldiers.
Officials from the primary school said some of the children threw up and others were nauseous for hours following what they described as an attack on the group.
Folks, it was a Girls school and the ages of the participants ranged from 3 to 15...! Do you really think 300 girls required the need for tear gas...?
So, in summation... Where's the Beef...?
*gah*
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