Comment & Debate
Former US president Bill Clinton: “The Israeli people also must understand that . . . the settlement enterprise and building bypass roads in the heart of what they already know will one day be part of a Palestinian state is inconsistent with the Oslo commitment that both sides negotiate a compromise.”[1]
Gregory Eow. “Israel Must Give Up the West Bank Settlements”. Washington Post Editorial. April 11, 2009: “Previously, we had thought it was Palestinian intransigence that prevented a two-state solution. A look at the settlements demolishes this explanation. The settlements and the maze of Israelis-only roads and military checkpoints to sustain them makes clear that successive Israeli governments — Labor and Likud alike, as Mr. Abrams noted — have actively pursued policies aimed at colonizing the West Bank. […] That prevents the establishment of a viable and contiguous Palestinian state”
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner: “Nothing justifies the settlement expansion which constitutes an impediment to peace, as well as an obstacle obstructing the development of the Palestinian economy.”[2]
Secretary of State Hilary Clinton: “We think it is in the best interests (of the peace process) that settlement expansion cease. That is our position. That is what we have communicated very clearly. […] And we intend to press that point.”[3]