SHARM EL-SHEIKH: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton vowed to push for a two-state solution and a viable Palestinian state Monday during the Gaza donors’ conference.
“The assistance we are offering is integral to our broader goals of comprehensive peace and a two state solution. We are working with our Palestinian partners to help pave the way for a responsible Palestinian state that can be independent, accountable to its people and live in peace with Israel and its Arab neighbors, she said.
The United States has pledged $900 million to the Palestinian Authority, a third of which will be channeled into immediate humanitarian assistance for the Gaza Strip.
“The US is joining others in responding to the needs of the Palestinian people. The international community is committed to providing immediate assistance to meet the humanitarian needs of Gaza and to help the Palestinian Authority’s efforts to provide for all Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, Clinton said.
Indicating that progress had been made during the one-day conference, Clinton held talks with many of the visiting delegations, including Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Moalim.
Clinton indicated that there was an American willingness to engage with countries such as Syria and Iran in cooperation with US allies and partners in the region. For his part Al-Moalim told reporters during the conference that Arab reconciliation was moving forward after recent strains between Syria and other countries.
The Secretary of State, who headed to Israel after the Sharm El-Sheikh conference, said she would be passing along the message to Israeli officials that negotiations must continue with whoever ends up forming the new Israeli government.
“Israel is in the process of forming a new government and we will be discussing specific policies with that new government. It is important for Israel to work with its responsible Palestinian partners to improve the lives of Palestinians, she said.
A stumbling block according to Clinton was the continued rocket fire into Southern Israel and the unwillingness of Hamas to renounce violence and recognize the Israeli state.
She said, “I am troubled by the continued rocket attacks coming out of Gaza. We call on all parties to move towards a durable ceasefire but it is very difficult for any country to just sit and take rockets falling on its people. That is the crux of the Israeli problem.
Islamist groups have been critical of the Gaza reconstruction conference, saying that it was an attempt to undercut the legitimacy of Hamas, which currently rules the Gaza Strip, and insert the Palestinian Authority in its place.
Mohamed Morsy from the Guidance Office of the Muslim Brotherhood told the group’s website that by showing willingness to only deal with the government of Fatah Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Arab and Western countries were trying to undermine the “steadfastness and resistance of Hamas in Gaza.
Morsy added that the conference would again divide Palestinian factions after attempts at reconciliation, and that “Zionist goals and American maneuvering clearly rear their head at the conference.
However, Clinton was clear about what Hamas needed to do if it wanted to be part of any process involving the United States and the international community.
“Hamas is not a country, it is an entity that has to understand that . for any engagement, not just with the United States, there are certain principles that Hamas would have to adopt in order for any of us to engage with Hamas she said, “Recognize Israel, renounce violence and agree to abide by the prior agreements. Everyone knows what Hamas must do and it is up to Hamas.
