Washington: The United States called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prove his commitment to a Palestinian state, warning that prolonged conflict only strengthened extremists.
Amid US tensions with Netanyahu, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged "bold leadership" from all sides to resolve one of the world`s most intractable disputes and also pressed Arab states to show they wanted to make peace.
Speaking at a dinner attended by the ambassadors of Israel and several Arab states, Hillary was forthright in her demands of Netanyahu, urging Israel to "refrain from unilateral statements and actions" that could undermine peace.
"Prime Minister Netanyahu has embraced the vision of the two-state solution," Hillary said.
"But easing up on access and movement in the West Bank, in response to credible Palestinian security performance, is not sufficient to prove to the Palestinians that this embrace is sincere," she said.
"We encourage Israel to continue building momentum toward a comprehensive peace by demonstrating respect for the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians, stopping settlement activity and addressing the humanitarian needs in Gaza."
Hillary warned that the long freeze in the peace process was strengthening hardliners, including Iran`s firebrand President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Praising efforts by Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas to tackle violence, corruption and economic woes, Hillary said she feared his constituents would look to the Islamist movement Hamas if he is unable to show achievements.
"What I worry about is that the failure to act now when there are changed circumstances... will not just set us back but may irreversibly prevent us from going forward," she said.
Hillary was speaking at the dedication of a Centre for Middle East Peace named after US entrepreneur Danny Abraham, a long-time advocate for Israeli peace efforts who created the Slim-Fast dieting drink.
Bureau Report
