Clinton: Israel hurts US credibility

March 23, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton accused Israel of undermining U.S. credibility as a Mideast peacemaker Monday on the eve of critical talks between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel recently announced new housing plans for east Jerusalem, an expansion that the Obama administration has strongly criticized. Clinton renewed that disapproval, telling a pro-Israel audience that provocative Israeli land policies in areas claimed by the Palestinians are not in Israel’s long-term interests.

Nonetheless, Netanyahu planned to take a firm stand here Monday night regarding Jerusalem, stressing that the city is Israel’s capital, “not a settlement,” government spokesman Mark Regev said.

At the same time both sides appeared to be indicating that while differences may remain, the recent spat — unique in recent memory for its harsh rhetoric and public nature — was behind them.

The spread of Jewish homes on land claimed by the Palestinians threatens the Obama administration’s first attempts at shuttle diplomacy intended to establish an independent Palestinian state, Clinton said.

“Our credibility in this process depends in part on our willingness to praise both sides when they are courageous, and when we don’t agree, to say so, and say so unequivocally,” Clinton said.