Arab countries should offer more moral and financial aid to Palestinians, reach out to Israelis and stop arming groups to foster Middle East peace, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday. According to Reuters, Clinton stressed U.S. support for Israel while laying out actions she expects of Israel, the Palestinians and Arab countries.
"Arab states ... have an interest in a stable and secure region and they should take specific steps that show Israelis, Palestinians and their own people that peace is possible and that there will be tangible benefits if it is achieved," Clinton said in a speech to the American Jewish Committee.
"We would hope to see such concrete steps like the opening or reopening of commercial trade offices and interest sections, overflight rights, postal routes, and more people-to-people exchanges that build trust at the grassroots level," she conveyed.
Clinton also called on Arab states to give Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas greater moral support to negotiate with Israel and more financial backing to help Prime Minister Salam Fayyad build functioning Palestinian institutions.
Clinton repeated U.S. accusations that Syria has transferred arms to Hizbullah and said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was "making decisions that could mean war or peace for the region."
