US Senator Hillary Clinton said that she supports the Separation Wall Israel is constructing in the occupied West Bank, and accused the Palestinian National Authority of not implementing enough efforts to “counter terrorism”.
Analysts in Israel and the United States said that this visit is considered part of Clinton’s election campaign for the US presidential elections.
During a tour in Gilo settlement near Jerusalem, Clinton said that “every country has a responsibility to protect its residents”, and stated that Israel had done all it could to protect itself before deciding to construct the Wall.
The statements of Clinton came as she was touring with Dani Theresa, head of the Separation Wall department in Gilo area.
In spite of the human rights violations created by the Separation Wall and the Israeli violation of the advisory ruling of the International High Court of Justice, Clinton refrained from criticizing Israel over the wall, disregarding the fact that The Hague itself condemned it.
Hillary met with the Israeli Foreign Minister, Silvan Shalom, who slammed Iran and the Iranian president, Mohammad Ahmad Al Najjar, for allegedly calling for “wiping Israel off the map”. Shalom said that the Iranian nuclear file should be referred to the Security Council, in order to decide on an “appropriate response”.
Hilary also met with the Israeli Defense Minister, Shaul Mofaz, who sharply criticized the P.A and said that the Palestinians should stop the violence, without any reference to the continuous Israeli military operations in the Occupied Territories.
Editor’s note: A more proper translation of Al Najjar’s statement would, in fact, be:
‘… the regime that occupies Jerusalem must vanish from the pages of time.’
