..


Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton defended the U.S. stance toward Israeli settlement building to worried Arab allies, saying Washington does not accept the legitimacy of the West Bank enclaves. (Nov. 4)

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton again clarified the U.S. position on Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Following a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo on Wednesday, Clinton said: “We do not accept the legitimacy of settlement activity and we have a very firm belief that ending all settlement activity, current and future, would be preferable.” She called on the Palestinians to agree to resume peace negotiations, saying, “Getting into final-status negotiations will allow us to bring an end to settlement activity.”