Clinton: Israel must do more for peace

WASHINGTON, April 16 (UPI) -- Israel must do more to advance peace with the Palestinians or risk emboldening militant groups such as Hamas, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.

Clinton urged Israeli and Palestinian officials to do more to make tough choices and said the United States won't impose a peace accord on them, Haaretz reported Friday.

"We know that we cannot force a solution," she said. "The parties themselves must resolve their differences."

For Israel, the best weapons against extremists are taking part in the peace process and "bottoms-up institution building," Clinton said Thursday at the opening of a Washington think tank, the Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace.

Failure to lead will benefit "Iran's anti-Semitic president (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) and extremists like Hamas and Hezbollah," she said.

Palestinians also should work harder to promote peace by ending incitement, curbing corruption and backing off from incendiary rhetoric, Clinton said.

"Israelis and Palestinians alike must confront the reality that the status quo has not produced long-term security or served their interests, and accept their share of responsibility for reaching a comprehensive peace that will benefit both sides," she said.