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WORLD NEWSThursday 9 March 2017
Johnson:
Britain still backs 2-state solution in Mideast
KARIN LAUB
Associated Press
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP)
— Britain’s foreign minister
said on Wednesday that
his country remains “abso-
lutely” committed to a two-
state solution to the Israeli- with the 2009 election of
Palestinian conflict and
that obstacles to a deal, in-
cluding accelerated Israeli
settlement building, must
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, shakes hands with Britain’s Foreign Secretary Boris
Johnson during their meeting, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Wednesday, March 8, 2017.
be removed.
Boris Johnson said he be-
lieves it’s still possible to
set up a state of Palestine
alongside Israel and that
the leadership change in
Washington might offer an
opportunity.
“There is a willingness to
look at things with fresh
eyes,” Johnson said after
meeting with Palestinian
Foreign Minister Riad Malki
in the city of Ramallah, the
base of the Palestinian au-
tonomy government in the
Israeli-occupied West Bank.
President Donald Trump,
in a break from his prede-
cessors, has given mixed
signals about whether the
United States still supports a remains possible.
two-state solution.
His election has embold-
ened Israeli hard-liners who
oppose the establishment
of a Palestinian state, while
Israeli Prime Minister Ben-
jamin Netanyahu recently
stopped short of endorsing
the idea.
Palestinians want to estab-
lish their state in the West
Bank, Gaza Strip and east
Jerusalem, lands Israel
captured in the 1967 Mid-
east war.
Israelis and Palestinians
have not held meaningful
talks since gaps widened
hard-liner Netanyahu. The
Palestinian political split
between Western-backed
President Mahmoud Ab-
bas and his Islamic mili-
tant Hamas rivals has also
harmed diplomatic efforts.
Standing next to Malki on
a podium, near a “State
of Palestine” seal, John-
son said that “the policy of
our government in the UK
is absolutely unchanged,
we remain committed to a
two-state solution, to that
vision for the resolution of
this conflict.”
“I really think it is possible,” “The reason we haven’t
Johnson said. “We must not
abandon that prospect.”
Israel’s ongoing expansion
of Jewish settlement on
war-won lands has led to
growing skepticism about
whether a two-state deal
Johnson acknowledged
the challenges, including
“the accelerated pace of
settlement building, the ac-
celerated pace of demoli-
tions.”
“Those are also the barriers
in the path of a two-state
solution, and we have to
work to remove those bar-
riers,” he said.
10 years gone: No word of ex-
FBI man lost in Iran on CIA job
JON GAMBRELL
Johnson met with Netan- Associated Press
yahu later on Wednesday, DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Ten years after a
after holding talks with Ab- former FBI agent working on an unauthorized CIA mis-
bas. sion disappeared in Iran, his family hopes U.S. President
He insisted his government Donald Trump will do something America’s last two
is one of the “firm, strong presidents have been unable to achieve: Finally bring
supporters, rock-like sup- him home.
porters of Israel.” Robert Levinson’s family told The Associated Press this
“I should remind you that week that Trump’s background as a deal-making busi-
the policy of our govern- nessman and his harder line on Iran could be an asset
ment is for a two-state so- in finally determining what happened to the investiga-
lution ... Israel has first and tor, whose 69th birthday is Friday.
They described the heartbreak of seeing other Ameri-
can prisoners in Iran freed while the mystery surround-
ing his disappearance remains. They also acknowl-
edged the challenge of keeping his case in the public
(AP Photo/Nasser Nasser) eye, as he now has been held captive longer than any
American in history, if he remains alive.
foremost and absolute right “We believe people can survive 10 years under any
to live in security and the circumstances. In the worst places, people survive. We
people of Israel deserve to know Bob is alive,” his wife, Christine Levinson, told the
be safe from terrorism and AP. “Everyone else has gotten out of Iran, but Bob has
that’s our absolute priority,” been left behind every single time. It’s now time for him
Johnson said. to be returned home to his family.”
Levinson disappeared from Iran’s Kish Island on March
“We must also try to re- 9, 2007. For years, U.S. officials would only say that Levin-
move obstacles to peace son, a meticulous FBI investigator credited with busting
and progress such as the Russian and Italian mobsters, was working for a private
settlements.” firm on his trip.
Netanyahu reiterated his In December 2013, the AP revealed Levinson in fact
position on the conflict. had been on a mission for CIA analysts who had no
authority to run spy operations. Levinson’s family had
had peace here for a hun- received a $2.5 million annuity from the CIA in order
dred years is not the settle- to stop a lawsuit revealing details of his work, while the
ments but the persistent re- agency forced out three veteran analysts and disci-
fusal to recognize a nation plined seven others.
state for the Jewish people Since his disappearance, the only photos and video
in any boundary. of Levinson emerged in 2010 and 2011. He appeared
I think if you want to solve gaunt and bearded with long hair, and was wearing
the problem you go to the an orange jumpsuit similar to those worn by detainees
core of the problem,” he at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay.
said. The video, with a Pashtun wedding song popular in Af-
In an unusual move, John- ghanistan playing in the background, showed Levinson
son also toured parts of complaining of poor health. Levinson’s family believes
the West Bank with Israel’s his diabetes and high blood pressure could be under
anti-settlement watchdog control with his weight loss.
group Peace Now. “I’m not as worried about his health,” his son, Dan
“We briefed him about the Levinson, said. “I understand people thinking it being
situation and the impor- over 10 years and fearing the worst, but we don’t be-
tance of keeping two-state lieve that.”
solution alive,” Hagit Ofran The FBI now offers a $5 million reward for information
of Peace Now said.q leading to Levinson’s safe recovery and return.
Rumors have circulated for years, with one account
claiming he was locked up in a Tehran prison run by
Iran’s paramilitary Revolution Guard and U.S. officials
suggesting he may not be in Iran at all. Dawud Sala-
huddin, an American fugitive living in Iran who is want-
ed for the assassination of a former Iranian diplomat in
Maryland in 1980, is the last known person to have seen
Levinson before his disappearance.
Iranian officials have been less than forthcoming. For-
mer hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sug-
gested in an interview with the AP in 2010 that his coun-
try already had suspicions about Levinson before the
nature of his trip became public knowledge.
“Of course if it becomes clear what his goal was, or if
he was indeed on a mission, then perhaps specific as-
sistance can be given,” Ahmadinejad said.q