Says president poised to press for withdrawal from strategic territory
By Aaron Klein
WorldNetDaily
October 16, 2009
JERUSALEM – U.S. officials in recent days expressed to the Palestinian Authority that President Obama’s administration is “disgusted” with Israel, a top aide to PA President Mahmoud Abbas told WND in an interview.
Nimr Hamad said the White House was disgusted that Israel is refusing to halt all settlement activity as a precondition for re-starting talks with the PA over the creation of a Palestinian state. “Settlement activity” refers to Jewish construction in the West Bank and eastern sections of Jerusalem.
Hamad repeated that the term “disgusted” was used more than once in recent meetings with U.S. envoys to describe the administration’s attitude toward Israel. Hamad did not name the U.S. envoys using the terminology.
George Mitchell, Obama’s envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, just this week wrapped up a series of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders over re-starting talks.
Senior PA sources told WND yesterday the Obama administration urged them to begin publicly pressuring Israel, starting in March, to immediately withdraw from key areas in the West Bank and peripheral eastern Jerusalem sections in which the Palestinians currently maintain administrative control.
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