World Face To Face Hillary Clinton envisions direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Hillary Clinton, Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas are shown at the peace talks in September. Washington/JTA H illary Rodham Clinton told a Palestinian-American audience that the only path to statehood is through direct talks with Israel. The U.S. secretary of state's Oct. 20 remarks to a gala dinner of the American Task Force on Palestine came as the Palestinian Authority reportedly was seeking international recogni- tion in case it decides to unilaterally declare statehood. "As much as the United States and other nations around the world want to see a resolu- tion to this conflict, only the parties themselves can take the difficult steps that will lead to peace Clinton said. "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 aspira- tions and the necessary outcome of two states for two peoples." Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas suspended the Middle East peace talks last month, barely a month after they were renewed, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to extend a 10-month partial freeze on settlement building in the Palestinian terroitories. President Obama has called for an exten- sion of the freeze, and has offered Netanyahu a wide-ranging package of security and dip- lomatic guarantees if he changes his mind. Netanyahu has been saying that unless the Palestinians stop making arrangements for a unilateral declaration, he will not reinstate the building freeze. Clinton's address did not mention the U.S. government's calls to extend the freeze and instead emphasized the need to return to direct talks — an implicit rebuke of Abbas. She also said a final status agreement between Israel and the Palestinians will reflect "developments" subsequent to the Six-Day War. An end-of-conflict agreement "reconciles the Palestinian goal of an independent and viable state based on the 1967 lines, with agreed swaps and Israel's goal of a Jewish state with secure and recognized borders that reflect subsequent developments and meet Israel's security requirements," Clinton said. Israel secured a letter in 2004 from the Bush administration recognizing some settlement blocs as "realities on the ground." These were never specified, but are thought to include the Etzion bloc south of Jerusalem, Maaleh Adumim to its east and possibly settle- ments along the West Bank border north of Jerusalem. Israeli officials have been seeking a reiteration of the commitment from the Obama administration. Clinton called on Arab states to contribute more concretely to advancing the process. "It takes far more than commitments and plans to support making the state of Palestine a reality',' she said. Clinton called for the release of Cpl. Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier kidnapped in Israel in 2006 and held since by Hamas-affiliated terror- ists in the Gaza Strip. Her call was applauded by the audience. The American Task Force on Palestine lob- bies for two states and believes in engaging a broad array of Jewish groups. ❑ Join Us as We Walk for a Cure! • LUNGevity's Metro Detroit Lung Cancer Walk A FAMILY FUN WALK! Drake Sports Park LUNGevity West Bloomfield FOUNDATION www.lungevity.org Dedicated to funding lung cancer research Drake Road Just South of Maple Road To register, contribute, or to find more information on the Metro-Detroit Lung Cancer Walk, please visit: Saturday, October 30, 2010 11:30 AM • Rain or Shine www.lungevity.org/detroitwalk Refreshments • Pumpkin Patch Kids Activities • And More! Contributions to the walk will be used to fund innovative lung cancer research. Gold Sponsors "No One Deserves to Have Lung Cancer!" SIValt Advanced Surveillance Group DMC Huron Valley - Sinai Hospital KARmA_ R ARRARA TRAX 111111MIMENI ware Genentech CANCER CENTER IN BUSINESS FOR LIFE WH&E FOODS Silver Sponsors Platinum Sponsors (o sriphannaceuticals PEGASUS ENTERTAINMENT DETROIT JEWISH NEWS JII Equilibrium Mind-Body Fitness Franklin Cider Mill Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup Jiffy Signs, Inc. Panera Bread Klug Farms - St. Joseph Starbucks 16 21880 40 October 28 • 2010