Qa'dah 13, 1431 / Oct. 21, 2010, SPA -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday that the direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians are "absolutely necessary" to achieve Middle East peace. Clinton made the remarks as she addressed a pro-Palestinian group, the American Task force on Palestine, in Washington. "Negotiations are not easy, but they too are absolutely necessary. It is always easier to defer decisions than it is to make them. As much as the United States and other nations around the world want to see a resolution to this conflict, only the parties themselves can take the difficult steps that will lead to peace. That is why the Obama Administration is working so hard to support direct talks that offer a forum for both sides to grapple with the core issues in good faith. There is no substitute for face-to-face discussion and, ultimately, for an agreement that leads to a just and lasting peace. That is the only path that will lead to the fulfillment of the Palestinian national aspirations and the necessary outcome of two states for two peoples." Clinton said. She admitted that there is no "magic formula" to break the current impasse of the talks regarding the settlement issue. "But we are working every day to create the conditions for negotiations to continue and succeed," she said. "But tonight I want to focus on why a two-state solution is essential to the future of the Palestinian people. Ziad referenced my time as First Lady. And as First Lady, I may have been the first person ever associated with an American administration to call for a Palestinian state and the two-state solution. This goal is now the official policy of the United States. She stressed, saying: "And for Palestinians, a two-state solution would mean an independent, viable, and sovereign state of their and your own; the freedom to travel, to do business, and govern themselves. Palestinians would have the right to chart their own destinies at last. The indignity of occupation would end and a new era of opportunity, promise, and justice would begin." "This is not easy. If it were, anybody could have done it already. We've had leaders who have given their lives to this work, and now we have a moment in time that we must seize. I urge you to help lead the way," Clinton added. Clinton concluded, saying: "And I promise you this: The Obama administration will not turn our backs on either the people of Palestine or Israel. We will continue working for and, God willing, achieving the just, lasting, and comprehensive peace that has been a cornerstone of U.S. policy for years."
