U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton departed Sunday for her first official State Department tour of the Middle East region. She will begin her three-day tour by attending the Sharm El-Sheikh donor nations conference, which will discuss providing humanitarian aid to Gaza residents. The U.S. has already committed to providing over $10 million in aid.
On Monday evening, Clinton will arrive in Jerusalem for meetings with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, President Shimon Peres, and Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu. She will also meet with Palestinian Authority leaders in Ramallah.
Hamas “welcomed” Clinton’s visit by attacking the coastal city of Ashkelon with three Grad rockets on Saturday, returning Israel closer to the situation that prompted the Olmert government to launch Operation Cast Lead.
In addition, Hamas leaders on Saturday rejected an offer by the rival Fatah faction leader and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas for a new unity government. Abbas said that Hamas had to respect a two-state solution, which would mean recognizing Israel, although the Samaria-based PA has not formally recognized the Jewish state.
In an interview with Voice of America on Friday, Clinton stated, “We want to strengthen a Palestinian partner willing to accept the conditions outlined by the Quartet and the Arab summit; in other words, a renouncement of violence, a recognition of Israel, and a commitment to abide by the previous agreements entered in by the Palestinian Authority.”
She furthermore stated that American humanitarian aid to Gaza will be contingent on being channeled to the proper recipients. “They’ll be spent only in service of the goals that will help people feel more secure in their lives, and therefore more confident that progress toward peace would serve them better than retreating to violence and rejectionism. And I will be announcing a commitment to a significant aid package, but it will only be spent if we determine that our goals can be furthered rather than undermined or subverted,” the Secretary of State said.
Clinton also mentioned that if Hamas wishes to reconcile with Fatah in order to form a unified Palestinian Authority, it “must renounce violence, recognize Israel, and abide by previous commitments.” The Secretary of State added, “otherwise, I don’t think it will result in the kind of positive step forward either for the Palestinian people or as a vehicle for a reinvigorated effort to obtain peace that leads to a Palestinian state.”
Visit with Old Friends
Clinton said she looks forward to returning to Israel. Her last time in the Jewish State was in 2005, with her husband, the former U.S. president. Although she calls her coming visit as “a visit with old friends,” Clinton acknowledges that it is a sensitive time in Israeli politics as the government is in the process of forming a coalition and intends to discuss the “U.S.-Israel relationship and talk about the best way to move peace forward.” Her take on “moving peace forward” is bringing forward a two-state solution.
Israel reconfirmed its adherence to determining a “final status,” at the November 2007 Annapolis Initiative. This included Israel’s agreement to a two-state solution. The Kadima party, headed by Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni, has focused its platform on unilaterally withdrawing from some areas of Judea and Samaria which hold a majority of Arabs. In contrast, Kadima’s rival, Likud, is committed to preserving Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria. President Shimon Peres has chosen Likud chairman MK Binyamin Netanyahu to create a coalition, which is expected to reject a two-state solution.
Clinton will be working with Middle East Envoy George C. Mitchell, who arrived in the region last week, to help end the conflict between Israel and the Arabs. She additionally wants to create an independent Palestinian Authority state, and to provide Israel with what she has called “the peace and security that it has long sought and which the people deserve to have.”
When asked how the Secretary of State will react to Netanyahu’s rejection of a two-state solution – a fundamental part of U.S. Mideast policy – Clinton responded, “Our policy remains, as it is the policy of the Quartet and the Arab League peace initiative to move toward a two-state solution. And there is not yet a government in Israel, so clearly, we have not had an opportunity to consult with anyone, but we will certainly convey our strong commitment to a two-state solution.”