Obama threatens to 'impose' Palestinian state
NEW YORK – If Israel and the Palestinians fail to reach an agreement to create a Palestinian state, the Obama administration will look into imposing a solution on the parties, a senior Palestinian Authority negotiator told WND. The negotiator, speaking by telephone from Ramallah, said the PA agreed to resume direct talks with Israel earlier this week only after a U.S. pledge to ensure against any new Jewish construction in eastern Jerusalem and the strategic West Bank. The PA negotiator told WND the Obama administration told the Palestinians if a deal is ultimately not reached with Israel the U.S. will consider imposing a solution "that the Israelis won't appreciate." Further, the PA negotiator said recent meetings between the Obama administration and the Palestinians revealed the White House is on board a Palestinian threat to unilaterally ask the United Nations to recognize a Palestinian state outside of negotiations with Israel. The PA negotiator said the U.S. wanted for now to stress negotiations between the parties, but that if an agreement is not reached the U.S. would not veto a U.N. Security Council resolution to unilaterally create a Palestinian state. Earlier this week, Obama urged PA President Mahmoud Abbas in a telephone conversation to engage in direct talks with Israel, the White House announced. A White House statement said the two "discussed the need for both parties to negotiate seriously and in good faith, and to move from proximity talks to direct negotiations as soon as possible in order to reach an agreement on permanent status issues." The report came after the PA announced last Sunday it was ready to resume indirect negotiations with Israel, brokered by Obama's Mideast envoy, George Mitchell. Warns White House can force solution 'Israelis won't appreciate'