US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on Palestinians and Israelis to resume peace negotiations "without preconditions." According to AFP, Clinton said the lines would be modified through mutually agreed land swaps.
With the Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh on her side, Clinton urged the Palestinians to try to end settlements through negotiations on core issues rather than conditioning the resumption of talks on a total freeze. "As Minister Judeh and discussed earlier, resolving borders Jerusalem resolves settlements. Resolving Jerusalem resolves settlements," the chief American diplomat said.
"We are working with the Israelis, the (Palestinian Authority), and the Arab states to take the steps needed to relaunch the negotiations as soon as possible and without preconditions," Clinton conveyed. The parties can reach a solution that "reconciles the Palestinian goal of an independent and viable state based on the 1967 lines, with agreed swaps and the Israeli goal of a Jewish state with secure and recognized borders," she said.
In her opening remarks, Clinton added both Washington and Amman were "concerned about recent activities in Jerusalem."
