Secretary Colin Powell — September
21, 2003:
"Settlement activity must stop. And it has not stopped to our
satisfaction."
|
President Bush – June 3, 2003:
"Israel must deal with the settlements. Israel must make sure there
is a contiguous territory that the Palestinians can call home." |
|
Mr. Richard Boucher, U.S. Department of
State –Daily Press Briefing -- November 25, 2002:
“Our position on settlements, I think, has
been very consistent, very clear. The secretary expressed it not too
long ago. ...The U.S. has long opposed
settlement activity and, consistent with the report of the Mitchell
Committee, settlement activity must stop.” |
|
Daniel Kurtzer, U.S. Ambassador to Israel
-- May 29, 2002: “It is
a fact that we have opposed the settlements for decades.”
– Ha’aretz |
|
Secretary of State Colin Powell -- May
1, 2002: "Something has to be
done about the problem of the settlements, the settlements continue to
grow and continue to expand."
-NBC's Meet the
Press
|
|
President Bush’s Rose Garden Address –
April 4, 2002: “Consistent
with the Mitchell plan, Israeli settlement activity in occupied
territories must stop....”
|
|
The Mitchell Report – April 30,
2001: “During the half-century
of its existence, Israel has had the strong support of the United States...
Yet, even in such a close relationship there are some difficulties.
Prominent among those differences is the U.S. government’s long-standing
opposition to the Government of Israel’s policies and practices
regarding settlements. …..The GOI should freeze all settlement activity,
including the “natural growth” of existing settlements.” |
President Clinton,
January 7, 2001:
“[T]he settlement enterprise ...is
inconsistent with the Oslo commitment that both sides negotiate a
compromise.” |
Excerpt from a letter to
Benjamin Netanyahu, dated December 14, 1996:
“]E[xpansion
of settlements, would be strongly counterproductive to the goal of a
negotiated solution. Such a tragic result would threaten the security of
Israel, the Palestinians, friendly Arab states, and undermine U.S.
interests in the Middle East.”
The letter was signed by: James A. Baker III (Former Secretary of
State), Zbigniew Brzezinski (Former National Security Adviser), Frank C.
Carlucci (Former National Security Adviser), Lawrence S. Eagleburger
(Former Secretary of State), Richard Fairbanks (Former Middle East Peace
Negotiator), Brent Scowcroft (Former National Security Adviser), Robert
S. Straus (Former Middle East Peace Negotiator), Cyrus R. Vance (Former
Secretary of State).
|
US Letter of Assurances to the
Palestinians on the terms of the Madrid Peace Conference excerpts
-- 24 October 1991:
“[T]he United States has opposed, and will continue to oppose,
settlement activity in territories occupied in 1967 which remain an
obstacle to peace.” |
U.S. Secretary of State James Baker – May
22, 1991:
“[N]ew settlement activity … does violate United States policy.… I
don’t think there is any greater obstacle to peace than settlement
activity."
|
President George H.W. Bush, press
conference –March 3, 1990:
“It would make a big contribution to peace if these settlements
would stop. [T]he foreign policy of the United States says we do not
believe there should be new settlements in the West Bank or in East
Jerusalem…. And that’s our strongly held view.” |
Reagan Plan –September 1982:
“[T]he United States will not support the use of any additional land
for the purpose of settlements during the transition period… Indeed, the
immediate adoption of a settlements freeze by Israel, more than any
other action, could create the confidence needed for wider participation
in these talks. Further settlement activity is in no way necessary for
the security of Israel and only diminishes the confidence of the Arabs
that a final outcome can be fee and fairly negotiated.”
|
|
President Carter -- April 1980
interview:
“Our position on the settlements is very clear. We do not think
they are legal.” |
Secretary of State Cyrus Vance
before House Committee. on Foreign Affairs -- March 21, 1980:
"U.S. Policy toward the establishment of Israeli settlements in the
occupied territories is unequivocal and has long been a matter of public
record. We consider it to be contrary to international law and an
impediment to the successful conclusion of the Middle East peace
process.” |
|
William Scranton, US Ambassador to the
United Nations, UN Security Council -- March 23, 1976:
“Substantial resettlement of the Israeli civilian population in
occupied territories… is seen by my government as an obstacle to the
success of the negotiations for a just and final peace between Israel
and its neighbors.”
|
Aerogram from the Department of State to
the Embassy in Israel:
"Although we have expressed our views to the Foreign Ministry and
are confident there can be little doubt among GOI leaders as to our
continuing opposition to any Israeli settlements in the occupied areas,
we believe it would be timely and useful for the Embassy to restate in
strongest terms the US position on this question.”
In Smith, Louis J. (Ed.). Foreign
Relations of the United States, 1964-1968, V. 20, Arab-Israeli Dispute
1967-1968. DC: 2001. |
