(Skynews, Jpost, Haaretz).US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has hailed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stance on West Bank settlements as 'unprecedented' after meeting the PM in Israel.
She cited Netanyahu's willingness not to start any new settlements in the occupied West Bank as reason enough to head back to the negotiating table.
In a strong show of support for Israel, she said she approved of Netanyahu's decision to issue a moratorium on new construction permits.
"What the prime minister has offered... a restraint on the policy of settlements, which he has just described, no new starts, for example, is unprecedented in the context of prior to negotiations," Clinton said
"It's also the fact that for forty years, Presidents of both parties have questioned the legitimacy of settlements, but I think that where we are right now is to try to get into the negotiations. The Prime Minister will be able to present his government's proposal about what they are doing regarding settlements which I think when fully explained will be seen as being not only unprecedented in response to many of the concerns that have been expressed," Clinton went on to say.
She urged both sides to resume peace talks that were suspended amid the Gaza war at the turn of the year as soon as possible, saying that any outstanding concerns would be resolved during the talks.
'I want to see both sides begin as soon as possible in negotiations,' Clinton said in Jerusalem.
'Where we are right now is to try to get into the negotiation, the prime minister will be able to present his government's proposal about what they are doing regarding settlement which I think, when fully explained, will be seen as being not only unprecedented but in response to many of the concerns being expressed,' she said.
Netanyahu said that Israel was willing to talk with the Palestinians without any conditions.
"We are prepared to start peace talks immediately," he said. "What we should do on the path to peace is to get on it and to get with it."
He said that in the past 16 years the Palestinians had never demanded that Israel freeze settlement activity as a precondition to talks and that their stance now was a change in policy.
She cited Netanyahu's willingness not to start any new settlements in the occupied West Bank as reason enough to head back to the negotiating table.
In a strong show of support for Israel, she said she approved of Netanyahu's decision to issue a moratorium on new construction permits.
"What the prime minister has offered... a restraint on the policy of settlements, which he has just described, no new starts, for example, is unprecedented in the context of prior to negotiations," Clinton said
"It's also the fact that for forty years, Presidents of both parties have questioned the legitimacy of settlements, but I think that where we are right now is to try to get into the negotiations. The Prime Minister will be able to present his government's proposal about what they are doing regarding settlements which I think when fully explained will be seen as being not only unprecedented in response to many of the concerns that have been expressed," Clinton went on to say.
She urged both sides to resume peace talks that were suspended amid the Gaza war at the turn of the year as soon as possible, saying that any outstanding concerns would be resolved during the talks.
'I want to see both sides begin as soon as possible in negotiations,' Clinton said in Jerusalem.
'Where we are right now is to try to get into the negotiation, the prime minister will be able to present his government's proposal about what they are doing regarding settlement which I think, when fully explained, will be seen as being not only unprecedented but in response to many of the concerns being expressed,' she said.
Netanyahu said that Israel was willing to talk with the Palestinians without any conditions.
"We are prepared to start peace talks immediately," he said. "What we should do on the path to peace is to get on it and to get with it."
He said that in the past 16 years the Palestinians had never demanded that Israel freeze settlement activity as a precondition to talks and that their stance now was a change in policy.