Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, “Remarks on United States Foreign Policy,” Council on Foreign Relations, September 8, 2010:
“We in the Obama Administration view development as a strategic, economic, and moral imperative. It is central to advancing American interests—as central as diplomacy and defense. Our approach is not, however, development for development’s sake; it is an integrated strategy for solving problems.”
“Look at the work to build institutions and spur economic development in the Palestinian territories … The United States invests hundreds of millions of dollars to build Palestinian capacity because we know that progress on the ground improves security and helps lay the foundation for a future Palestinian state. And it creates more favorable conditions for negotiations. The confidence that the new Palestinian security force has displayed has affected the calculus of Israeli leadership, and the United States was behind building that security force along with other partners like Jordan. But the principal responsibility rests on the decisions made by the Palestinian Authority themselves. So with our help and their courage and commitment, we see progress that influences negotiations and holds out a greater promise for an eventual agreement.”
