Truthdig
A Private Speech by Clinton in 2015 Mentioned Palestinian Rights-Until She
Actually Gave It
http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/hillary_clinton_private_speech_2
015_mentioned_palestinian_rights_20161026/
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Posted on Oct 26, 2016
Hillary Clinton delivering a speech at the Saban Forum in 2011. (Flickr /
CC 2.0(https://www.flickr.com/photos/aslanmedia_official/6556378055/) )
The "Podesta
emails(http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/wikileaks_podesta_emails_reveal_t
he_power_behind_the_clinton_campaign_) " being released by WikiLeaks
continue to illuminate concealed aspects of Hillary Clinton's policy
positions. Recent batches of the emails, originating from the server of
Clinton campaign Chairman John Podesta, include segments of
speeches(http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/read_segments_of_hillary_clinto
ns_wall_street_speeches_released_by_wikileak) -and a few full
transcripts(http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/read_full_transcript
s_of_three_of_hillary_20161019) -made by the Democratic presidential nominee
to various organizations behind closed doors.
The emails and speeches are being dumped almost daily and shine a light on
many of Clinton's positions-on the environment, foreign policy, big
business, health care and more. An email released
Tuesday(https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/31779) , however,
provides an interesting glimpse into the editing of one of Clinton's many
speeches and focuses on a controversial political issue: the U.S.
relationship with Israel and Palestine.
The email "reveals that an extensive section on Palestinian rights was
completely removed from an early draft of the speech" Clinton delivered on
Dec. 6, 2015, at the Saban
Forum(https://www.brookings.edu/events/saban-forum-2015-israel-and-the-unite
d-states-yesterday-today-and-tomorrow/) in Washington, reporter Eli Clifton
explains(http://lobelog.com/early-draft-of-clinton-speech-mentioned-palestin
ian-rights/) :
Palestinian rights and acknowledgment of their national aspirations are
nearly completely lacking from the final version. The speech only made a
brief reference to Israeli settlement construction, which Clinton loosely
described as a "damaging action." It also made only one passing, and
indirect, acknowledgement of Palestinian suffering, saying, "Israeli
children have been killed as have Palestinian children." .
A Dec. 4, 2015, version of the speech, apparently drafted by Clinton
speechwriter Dan [Schwerin], made specific references to Palestinian
suffering and right to self-determination. Although holding to the position
of the Democratic Party and the Clinton camp that a two-state solution
cannot be imposed by outside actors like the United Nations, this earlier
version of the speech explicitly mentioned settlement construction as an
impediment to the peace process.
The Saban Forum(https://www.brookings.edu/series/saban-forum/) "is
organized by the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution"
and was created and is currently chaired by billionaire Haim Saban, who has
a history of pro-Israel
policy(http://www.alternet.org/grayzone-project/company-owned-pro-israel-cli
nton-mega-donor-haim-saban-just-bought-gawker-medias) . Saban is also
co-owner of Univision, which recently
purchased(http://corporate.univision.com/2016/08/univision-communications-in
c-to-acquire-digital-media-assets-from-gawker-media-for-135-million/?cmpid=1
43222) Gawker Media Group Inc.
Clifton noted that in another
email(http://mondoweiss.net/2016/10/clinton-treating-palastinians/) ,
Podesta himself suggested a "cut or rework" to a section of the speech that
might "evoke how people feel about how Israel is treating the Palestinians,"
and Clifton added that Podesta described Saban as "not [being] with
[Clinton] if she wasn't totally committed to Israeli security."
Podesta was probably referring to this segment of Schwerin's draft, which
was notably absent from the version Clinton ultimately delivered to the
Saban Forum:
"Israelis cannot live forever in a state of siege. They must not be
condemned to the constant fear that they might be stabbed in the street or
attacked on a bus. Generation after generation of parents should not have to
send their children off to combat. Israelis deserve security, recognition,
and a peaceful, normal life. They deserve to live in a nation defined by its
founding ideals-democratic, Jewish, and free.
"And Palestinians have the right to yearn for the freedom to govern
themselves, in peace and dignity. For most Americans, it is hard, if not
impossible, to imagine living behind checkpoints and roadblocks.
Palestinians should be able to achieve their legitimate aspirations.
"So as difficult as this will be, all the parties must work to preserve the
possibility of a two-state solution and create the conditions for progress
by avoiding unilateral or damaging actions, whether on the ground, in
settlement construction, or at the United Nations."
Neither Clinton, Podesta or Schwerin (who is now Clinton's director of
speechwriting(https://twitter.com/DanSchwerin?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcam
p%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor) ) has commented on the leaked email and speech.
-Posted by Emma Niles(http://www.truthdig.com/staff/emma_niles/)
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