Laura Rozen over at the Foreign Policy blog The Cable has posted Hillary Clinton's prepared answers to questions from the Senate Foreign Policy Committee. When it comes to Israel/Palestine it seems Clinton thinks everything is going great.
She would seem to support the Bush administration Road Map policy and promises to continue the process that began at the Annapolis conference last year. She also endorses the US policy of arming and training the Palestinian Authority security apparatus which has been used to incite internecine violence within the occupied Palestinian territories. One other piece of vaguely interesting news is that she is noncommittal on the "personnel structure" that she will use to "implement [the United States'] Middle East peace efforts."
The most shocking quote in light of the recent fighting in Gaza – "the parties report that progress has been made in [the talks started in Annapolis],
which they hope to build upon. Our commitment is to help them build on
that progress". Has a boilerplate answer ever sounded so out of touch and ignorant?
Some excerpts from Clinton's answers:
On the Annapolis peace conference and the Bush Road Map:
President-Elect Obama has pledged to work actively from the beginning of his Administration to help Israel and the Palestinians achieve peace and security through a two-state solution, because it is in both parties' interests and because it is in the United States' interests. Throughout 2008, he urged Israel and the Palestinian Authority to make as much progress as possible in their negotiations that arose our of the Annapolis conference, so that a functioning process could be continued in 2009. And indeed, the parties report that progress has been made in these talks, which they hope to build upon. Our commitment is to help them build on that progress and achieve their goal of two states living side-by-side in peace and security. That commitment remains, even in the face of very difficult and challenging events, such as the recent events in Gaza and southern Israel. The Road Map, with the mutual obligations it places on the parties, remains one of the important bases for working toward a two-state solution.
On US-funded training for the Palestinian Authority security apparatus:
The Palestinian National Security Force and Presidential Guard members who have been trained in Jordan under the auspices of the United States Security Coordinator have performed well in early tests in Jenin and Hebron. This is an important element of strengthening Palestinian capabilities to enable the Palestinian Authority to meet its commitments to combat terrorism and maintain law and order, which are crucial to ensuring security for Israelis and improving daily life for Palestinians.
