Wow, Hillary Clinton is getting candid at #Saban12, if my Twitter feed is correct.
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Jeffrey Goldberg (@JeffreyGoldberg) December 01, 2012A day after criticizing as “unfortunate and counterproductive” a vote by the United Nations General Assembly to recognize Palestine as a nonmember observer state, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a candid keynote address at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution in which she criticized Israel for a lack of empathy.
Zippi Livni, Haim Saban, Hillary Clinton at the #Saban forum http://t.co/NmKNDySv—
Natasha Mozgovaya (@mozgovaya) December 01, 2012
CLinton, speaking freely now, criticizes Israelis for a “lack of empathy” toward the Palestinians. #Saban12—
Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) December 01, 2012
Clinton recalls criticism for use of "unprecednetd" on settlement freeze. Bibi was "good to his word" #Saban12—
Ron Kampeas (@kampeas) December 01, 2012
But notes Israeli "lack of generosity, lack of empathy that goes hand in hand with suspicion" — Hilary #Saban12—
Ron Kampeas (@kampeas) December 01, 2012
Clinton sounds authentic now, Her best moments of the evening, lays blame on Palestinians but somehow sounds disappointed with Israelis—
Chemi Shalev (@ChemiShalev) December 01, 2012
Clinton "Israelis have good grounds to be suspicious..Palestinians could have had state as old as I am" if they made right decisions in '67"—
Elise Labott (@eliselabottcnn) December 01, 2012
Clinton says there is an Israeli "lack of generosity and lack of empathy" that comes w/ suspicions. There's more Israel needs to do for Pals—
Elise Labott (@eliselabottcnn) December 01, 2012
Shorter Hillary Clinton: Palestinians are at fault, and so the Israelis cannot trust them, which makes them have a “lack of empathy.”—
Alex Cacioppo (@lexiconstable) December 01, 2012
Clinton also urged Israel to take the moral high ground in its dealings with Palestinians.
Clinton says wants Israel to try harder with Palestinians. "That's what I want Israel to occupy, the moral high ground"—
Elise Labott (@eliselabottcnn) December 01, 2012
They DO. RT @SooperMexican: 'I want Israel to occupy the moral high ground, that's what I want them to occupy!" – Hillary Clinton #Saban12—
Melissa Clouthier (@MelissaTweets) December 01, 2012
@MelissaTweets @SooperMexican I'm guessing Israel would like to be able to occupy their beds without fear of being murdered.—
Tim Wells (@RightWingNerd) December 01, 2012
@MelissaTweets amazing that she uttered that after pretty much laying out why Israel has a reason to be suspicious of Palestinians…—
El SOOPer!! (@SooperMexican) December 01, 2012
Clinton’s unusually critical remarks struck a chord with observers.
A serious question, @blakehounshell, and @lrozen — does Hillary know she's speaking on the record?—
Jeffrey Goldberg (@JeffreyGoldberg) December 01, 2012
yes! RT @JeffreyGoldberg: A serious question, @blakehounshell, and @lrozen — does Hillary know she's speaking on the record?—
Laura Rozen (@lrozen) December 01, 2012
Clinton's candor on Israeli-Palestinian issue is remarkable. This is when she is at her best—
Elise Labott (@eliselabottcnn) December 01, 2012
Great speech by Hillary Clinton tonight – such a class act. Shame Pres Obama can't persuade her to stay on as Sec of State.—
Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) December 01, 2012
@SooperMexican She's disgusting. Ugh. Perfect wife to Bill and Barack.—
Melissa Clouthier (@MelissaTweets) December 01, 2012
Update:
#SecClinton's remarks at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy 2012 Saban Forum: go.usa.gov/gBqB—
(@StateDept) December 01, 2012
Here’s the key bit from the State Department transcript of Clinton’s speech:
So, look, I’m not making excuses for the missed opportunities of the Israelis, or the lack of generosity, the lack of empathy that I think goes hand-in-hand with the suspicion. So, yes, there is more that the Israelis need to do to really demonstrate that they do understand the pain of an oppressed people in their minds, and they want to figure out, within the bounds of security and a Jewish democratic state, what can be accomplished.