Obama advocates two-state solution in Middle
East
Friday May 20, 2011 10:38:16 AM,
Arun Kumar, IANS
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Washington:
US President Barack Obama has advocated a two-state solution to
the Israel-Palestinian conflict based on borders that existed
before the 1967 Middle East war.
In a major speech Thursday, Obama formally outlined the long
standing position of going back to the time when Israel seized the
West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights and Sinai Peninsula, but he
also acknowledged the need for modifications due to conditions on
the ground.
"The United States believes that negotiations should result in two
states, with permanent Palestinian borders with Israel, Jordan,
and Egypt, and permanent Israeli borders with Palestine," Obama
said in a 45-minute address laying out his vision of a new Middle
East and North Africa.
"We believe the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on
the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and
recognized borders are established for both states," Obama said.
His position agreed with the Palestinian negotiating stance on
border issues in the staggering peace process, now stalled again
by disputes over Israel settlements in the West Bank and the role
of Hamas - a terrorist group in the eyes of the US and Israel - in
the Palestinian leadership.
At the same time, Obama reiterated unwavering US support for
Israel's security, and he endorsed major negotiating positions of
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, including an
incremental handover of security responsibilities by Israel when
conditions on the ground allow it.
Obama declared the US commitment to Israel's security
"unshakable", and said "every state has the right to self-defence,
and Israel must be able to defend itself - by itself - against any
threat".
However, "the status quo is unsustainable, and Israel too must act
boldly to advance a lasting peace", Obama said, adding that "the
dream of a Jewish and democratic state cannot be fulfilled with
permanent occupation".
Obama also rejected any Palestinian effort to challenge Israel's
right to exist, saying they would "end in failure". He noted an
expected push for a symbolic UN General Assembly resolution in
September "won't create an independent state".
(Arun Kumar can
be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)
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