U.S. Ambassador to Israel Richard Jones said Tuesday that the only way to determine the permanent borders between Israel and the Palestinians is through negotiations leading to an agreement.
He was speaking at a press conference in Tel Aviv and when asked whether the U.S. administration supports the convergence plan of interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, which is based on unilateral measures, Jones replied, ‘We support the road map and we continue to support negotiations because we believe it is the only way to solve the conflict. My understanding is that this is the approach of Olmert and Kadima as well, that they also would prefer to reach an agreement.’
Jones said that if Olmert takes unilateral action after it becomes clear that Israel does not have a partner for peace, that would be understandable. ‘We'll see how that fits in with U.S. policy,’ Jones said, ‘We support an agreement through negotiations and are doing everything possible to turn Hamas into a partner.’
Jones said his government suspended aid to the Palestinian Authority because of its refusal to accept the principles of the Quartet. ‘The Palestinian government must accept responsibility for the implications of its policy. We don't want to punish anyone but rather to clarify that Hamas' policy has implications. As long as Hamas maintains its terrorist line, we will not recognize it or maintain contacts with it.’
Jones said the U.S. will increase its humanitarian aid to the PA, distributed through UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency) and local non-governmental organizations by 57 percent to $245 million annually.