President Obama’s speech important for the Middle East peace process

“President Obama’s speech is the most important move he has made so far to resolve the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Norway supports his approach,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.  

In his speech today on the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, President Obama cautioned against believing that the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians can remain unresolved while the whole region stands up to demand democracy. He called on the parties to act boldly without delay to resolve the conflict by creating two states for two peoples living side-by-side in peace. 

For the first time President Obama said that the permanent borders between the two states should be based on the on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps. He stressed that the issue of Israel’s legitimate need for security must be resolved and that Israeli military forces must be fully withdrawn from Palestinian territory.   

“The fact that the US and the EU are in agreement on the general framework for resolving the conflict provides a new basis for the parties to resume negotiations. I urge Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas to respond favourably to President Obama’s initiative,” said Mr Støre.

“Norway supports negotiations that could lead to the creation of a Palestinian state that can live side-by-side with Israel in peace and security,” said Foreign Minister Støre.

The Palestinian Authority has carried out comprehensive reforms with a view to establishing and maintaining modern government institutions. The progress that has been made has been recognised both by the main donor countries to the Palestinian Authority and by the World Bank, the IMF and the UN. 

“As chair of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for Assistance to the Palestinians (AHLC), I will seek to ensure that the Palestinian Authority receives the donors’ full support so that it can continue its efforts to build the required institutions for a Palestinian state,” said the Foreign Minister.