Biden tells AIPAC: Israel must support two-state solution

[IndianaGreen]

Last update - 19:18 05/05/2009

Biden tells AIPAC: Israel must support two-state solution

By Natasha Mozgovaya and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondents, and The Associated Press

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden pressed Israel on Tuesday to support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in an address to the leading pro-Israel lobby during its annual conference in Washington.

"Israel has to work for a two state-solution. You're not going to like my saying this, but not build more settlements, dismantle existing outposts and allow Palestinians freedom of movement ... and access to economic opportunity," Biden told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

Biden also said the Palestinian Authority "must combat terror and incitement against Israel."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1083213.html

[mikelgb]

1. good

[rateyes]

2. Good. Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

[LeftishBrit]

3. Good for him - both sides need to come to an agreement;

and a two-state solution is the only possible way forward at the moment.

I think quite a lot of Israelis would agree with him, though mostly not those represented by the current government.

[shira]

4. you think the PA now with Hamas (backed by Iran) will try for an agreement that comes close to...

...the Clinton Parameters?

Looks like based on what Meshaal said in his most recent interview that Hamas will only agree to a 10 year truce based on strict 1967 borders, all of E.Jerusalem, and full right of return. Iran-backed Hamas doesn't seem likely to back down anytime soon from such ridiculous demands.

You think Israel should accept such a deal, or be pushed hard into accepting such a deal?

[IndianaGreen]

6. Which Clinton "parameters"? His pants' fly?

Obama will do his own thing, and thank the gods for that.

[shira]

7. do you believe Israel should be pressured to accept full right of return and handing over all of

East Jerusalem (abandoning major settlements around Jerusalem / giving PA full control of jewish holy sites).

[IndianaGreen]

8. Return to pre-1967 borders, with the following lessons-learned caveats

Jerusalem will be the capital of both Israel and Palestine. Jewish religious sites will be under Israeli control. Islamic religious sites will be under Palestinian control. Christian religious sites; they can fight over them among themselves.

Full compensation to the victims of the Nakba, in lieu of "right of return."

[shira]

9. you realize PA leadership isn't down with Israeli control of jewish religious sites in E.Jerusalem

or compensation in lieu of right-of-return?

[IndianaGreen]

11. And Likud's charter calls for keeping the entire West Bank, while Hamas...

wants nothing Jewish left in the entire land.

Let the extremists of both sides become marginalized rather than being lionized by some.

[UndertheOcean]

14. +1 n/t

[applegrove]

5. I'm sure those words were chosen very carefully. And good. The whole world

needs peace in Israel/Palestine.

[Scurrilous]

10. US pro-Israeli group attempts to stop shift in White House Middle East policy

Aipac urges Congress members to sign letter to Barack Obama calling for Israel to set pace of negotiations with Palestinians

<snip>

"US congressional leaders and the most powerful pro-Israel lobby group in the US are attempting to forestall a significant shift in the White House's Middle East policy.

The move comes amid growing signs that the US president, Barack Obama, intends to press for urgent efforts to be made towards the creation of a Palestinian state.

The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, is visiting Washington later this month amid growing expectations that Obama is preparing to take a tougher line over Israel's reluctance to actively seek a two-state solution to its conflict with the Palestinians.

It will be the first time that Netanyahu and Obama have met since both were elected.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) this week sent hundreds of lobbyists to urge members of Congress to sign a letter to Obama.

The letter, written by two House of Representatives leaders, calls for Israel to be allowed to set the pace of negotiations.

The lobbying came despite critics saying Netanyahu has consistently failed to commit himself to the creation of a Palestinian state."

more

[IndianaGreen]

12. AIPAC is a rightwing group, period!

They no more speak for the American Jewish community as a whole than the Pope speaks for all birth control using American Catholics.

[oberliner]

13. No they aren't

They have members who are right, left, and center.

Admittedly, they probably do not have a lot of Marxists.