Clinton’s insistence that US policies on Israeli settlements remain unchanged is hardly going to be taken seriously when Washington seems to be pursuing a different line. In a reversal of the initial US position, Clinton has urged regional Arab states to push for negotiations, clearly sidestepping the settlements issue, a pre-requisite for restarting peace talks.

The overriding sentiment at the meeting was of resentment. It is not only US President Barack Obama’s retreat on the settlements issue that has come under fire, the change in course now calling for ‘restraining’ rather than ‘freezing’ settlement expansion. Praising Israel for its offer on partial freeze of settlements, Clinton has said that it would be “an unprecedented restriction on settlements and will have a significant and meaningful effect on restraining their growth”. The change of track seeks to condone Israel’s ongoing settlement expansion and is in jolting opposition to Washington’s initial position. Not only are the Palestinians deeply disappointed with this U-turn in Mideast policy, they have lost faith in Obama’s lofty promises of pushing forward for a resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The Secretary of State tried her best to convince Palestinian Prime Minister and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas to withdraw his stand on the settlement issue for the sake of restarting negotiations with Israel. Obviously Israel’s considerations assume top priority with the US since it refuses to budge on its continued and illegal expansion 
of settlements.

The play of words has not impressed the Arab states. The consensus is that dialogue with Israel is not possible unless it takes practical measures to prove its commitment.  What is worrying is how fast the US is losing credibility in the region, and indeed worldwide, for backtracking on the Israel-Palestine issue. That explains the pessimism of the Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, who said, “I’m really afraid we are about to see failure…failure is in the atmosphere.” Such sentiments are probably echoing 
across the region.

With both Israel and Palestinians refusing to budge from their respective positions, the stalemate is likely to continue. For once, Fatah has decided to stick to its guns and not relent under US pressure to conceded ground to Israel. It is unfortunate that the US, by adopting such a position has bolstered Israel’s defiance. It is tantamount to support for illegal Israeli activities, in abject violation of international law.

It is time that Washington wakes up to the reality of how blind support to Israel and backtracking on crucial foreign policy decisions are impacting its credibility.