The stamp briefings

The following is an excerpt from the State Department briefing of December 5th.

QUESTION: You announced that the Secretary is going to be attending the Global Counterterrorism Conference --

MR. TONER: Yes, I did.

QUESTION: -- in Abu Dhabi, which opens the can of worms about whether Israel has been invited to participate in any capacity at all. Do you know if they have or if there are plans to get them involved, if not at a ministerial level, at a lower level?

MR. TONER: You know where we stand on this, which is that we’ve discussed with our partners in the Global Counterterrorism Forum ways to involve Israel. We said this before. We’re committed to doing so. We’ll raise it again in this venue.

QUESTION: But not this time?

MR. TONER: I don’t know if they are going to be invited. I’ll try to get more information on that.

With all that's going on in Egypt, Syria, etc., which is the country that is of greatest concern to the reporters at the State Department briefing? Read through the briefings of December 4th and 5th to get the answer.

The following is an excerpt from the State Department briefing of Decmber 4th.

QUESTION: I have one last question on – if you indulge me – on the West Bank. The Israelis now are stamping visitors’ American visitors and others, when they enter the West Bank as Judea and Samaria. Are you concerned about that? Did you express your concern to the Israelis?

MR. TONER: I’ve looked into it. I don’t have much to say about it beyond the fact that it’s really a question better directed to the Israeli Government for their specifics on their border procedures.

My understanding is that this stamp is for – is an entry stamp that permits travel --

QUESTION: Into the West Bank?

MR. TONER: -- into the West Bank.

QUESTION: But you do recognize the West Bank as occupied territory; correct?