Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice commend Trump on Israel-Hamas peace deal, focus on path ahead

[ad_1] Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice on Friday praised the Trump administration's success in reaching a Center East peace deal. Each of the previous secretaries of state are nonetheless cautiously watching to see how the early phases play out however expressed some optimism about its prospects.

Clinton and Rice joined CBS Information 24/7 for a reside interview with CBS Information senior correspondent Norah O'Donnell to debate the Israel-Hamas peace plan brokered by President Trump as the primary stage of the deal takes form.

The dialog befell two days after the signing of a landmark deal during which Hamas agreed to launch all remaining hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel pledged to withdraw its navy from elements of the Gaza Strip. Mr. Trump has called the deal the "first part" of a complete 20-point plan to finish the two-year-long Israel-Hamas battle. The president plans to journey to the Center East as quickly as this weekend, and stated he hopes to be current for the return of the hostages.

"I actually commend President Trump and his administration, in addition to Arab leaders within the area for making the dedication to the 20-point plan and seeing a path ahead for what's typically referred to as the day after," Clinton informed O'Donnell.

O'Donnell requested Rice if she is assured that is the tip of the battle.

"Nobody may be fully assured, given the historical past of the Center East," Rice replied, however she added that there are good causes to be optimistic.

Rice and Clinton each stated the Israelis and Palestinians should get by this primary part of the deal — and that also is not sure.

"That is not self-evident," Clinton stated. It will take lots of work. It will take lots of coordination."

One of many difficulties in attaining a long-lasting peace within the Center East is getting varied events on board, however the truth that there is a broader coalition of Center Japanese states concerned on this settlement is an efficient signal, Rice stated.

"The one piece that I am most involved about is, how do you get from a form of transitional authority of some sort, a very consultant Palestinian authority?" Rice requested. "The Palestinian authority, which controls the West Financial institution, misplaced management of Gaza after 2006, has probably not been reformed in a very long time. And it wants reform. It wants youthful blood."

Clinton referred to as Israel's attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar's capital of Doha in September "ill-advised" and a "strategic error" that gave Mr. Trump's negotiators a gap.

"That offered a gap for each President Trump and his representatives to marshal all the regional powers, together with, after all, Qatar, but additionally to make it clear to Israel, 'No, that is now sufficient. We can not proceed this. This battle wants to finish, and we have got to maneuver on.'"

Clinton stated of U.S. negotiators, "They took benefit of a gap that was out there and have been ready to achieve success."

Rice prompt a two-state answer is not more likely to be possible proper now, however she stated there are issues the Palestinians can do to organize for a future state. Palestinians are going to wish to insist on reforms themselves, she stated.

"They have to begin to acknowledge that Israel goes to exist, and it is going to be part of this Center East," Rice stated. "And which means, change the teachings that you simply educate your youngsters concerning the state of Israel. Cease placing up maps that (say) the state of Israel does not exist. Do not create one other technology of Palestinians who consider that in some way the resistance is the way in which to peace and safety."

Clinton stated the Israeli settlement exercise within the West Financial institution that has been inspired by the Israeli authorities "has to stop."

She stated the work of rebuilding Gaza shall be arduous, laborious and intensive, and he or she referred to as on the U.S. and worldwide group to commit collectively to convey peace to the Center East.

"Let's now help this course of and produce it collectively, not simply in a nonpartisan means in our personal nation, however actually internationally as an incredible world dedication to attempt to convey peace, safety, stability and a greater future to the Center East," Clinton stated.

The deal is anticipated to permit dozens of hostages to return to their households on Monday or Tuesday, ending a two-year ordeal that started with Hamas' assault on southern Israel. It will additionally supply a reprieve to tens of millions of residents of the Gaza Strip who've confronted an intense and nearly uninterrupted two-year bombardment and floor invasion by Israel's navy.

Some questions stay, nonetheless. Mr. Trump's 20-point peace plan requires Israel to withdraw from a lot of the Gaza Strip in phases, however the actual cadence of these withdrawals is not clear. It additionally requires management of Gaza to be handed over to a still-unformed "technocratic" committee that doesn't embody Hamas and — at the very least for now — additionally leaves out the Palestinian Authority. The deal acknowledges an unbiased Palestinian state as "the aspiration of the Palestinian folks," nevertheless it's unclear if or when discussions on statehood may happen.

The Israeli-Palestinian battle has vexed each U.S. administration in latest historical past — together with the 2 that Friday's friends labored in. Clinton pressed for a two-state solution — however Obama struggled with a cold relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a interval that additionally noticed two smaller wars in Gaza. Rice additionally championed a two-state answer and made intensive efforts within the final years of the Bush administration to assist negotiate peace.

However partially as a result of then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and then-Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas have been every brief on the political help essential to make a long-lasting deal, the battle continued. One frequent critique of previous administrations is that they haven't made adequate use of U.S. leverage over Israel, to strain it to make concessions. Stress on the Netanyahu authorities from President Trump seems to have been a crucial think about bringing about this peace deal now.