Israel Matzav: Clinton: Escalating with Israel is 'paying off'

Clinton: Escalating with Israel is 'paying off'

Hillary Clinton told the BBC's Kim Ghattas on Friday that escalating pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was 'paying off.'

Ghattas: You took a risk in escalating the tone with Israel last week, I understand the relationship is solid but the Israelis could have said we never promised restraint on settlments in east Jerusalem,- is the risk paying off?

Clinton: I think we're going to see the resumption of the negotiation track and that means that it is paying off because that's our goal. Let's get the parties into a discussion, let's [get] the principle issues on the table and let's begin to explore ways that we can resolve the differences.

Ghattas: Is the pressure on the Israeli prime minister meant to be a moment of clarity, either he delivers on his commitment to peace, or his right wing coalition falls?

Clinton: We're not taking any position and we have no particular stake in who the Israelis choose to govern them.They're a democracy and they make that choice. I think that different parts of govern make action or statements that are not in the best interest of the government as a whole and I think what the Prime Minister has said repeatedly is that his government and he personally are committed to pursuing these negotiations and he just has to make sure that he brings in everyone else, that's his responsibility it's not something that the United states can or is interested in doing.

I'm of two minds on this. On the one hand, Bibi should have said "we never promised to freeze building in Jerusalem." In fact, Bibi was quite explicit that we were going to continue to build in Jerusalem.

On the other hand, I think Bibi is getting the better of this round. In all the reports of what he's agreed to give, nothing is explicit. It seems that he has given nothing on Ramat Shlomo and in fact, he may be legally unable to give anything because Israeli law may not allow him to stop building in Jerusalem. I may change my mind if I see a large terrorist release or some critical roadblocks opened, but so far, I really haven't seen anything that Bibi's given to resolve this manufactured 'crisis.'

Please tell me I'm not missing something.

Israel Matzav: Clinton: Escalating with Israel is 'paying off'