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Kerry defends US decision not to veto UN condemnation of Israeli settlements
US secretary of state pushes two-state solution and criticises Netanyahu in toughest remarks on Israel by a US official in years
John Kerry outlines the Obama administration’s Middle East peace plan at the State Department. Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA
Sabrina Siddiqui in Washington
@SabrinaSiddiqui
Wednesday 28 December 2016 17.45 GMT Last modified on Wednesday 28 December 2016 17.48 GMT
The US secretary of state, John Kerry, has offered a blistering defence of the United States’ decision to not veto a UN resolution condemning Israeli settlement building in a speech that marked the toughest remarks on Israel by a US official in years.
Framing a two-state solution as “the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians”, Kerry also took aim at the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for building a coalition that was “the most rightwing in Israeli history, with an agenda driven by the most extreme elements”.
“I am compelled to respond today that the United States did in fact vote in accordance with our values,” Kerry said of UN security council resolution, which demanded that Israel “immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem”.
“If the choice is one state, Israel can either be Jewish or democratic,” Kerry said. “It cannot be both.”
Set against the backdrop of an unusually charged back-and-forth between the US and Israeli governments, Kerry strongly rejected characterisations of the Obama administration’s actions as hostile toward one of its closest allies.
“Some seem to believe that the US friendship means the US must accept any policy, regardless of our own interests, our own positions, our own words, our own principles - even after urging again and again that the policy must change,” Kerry said. “Friends need to tell each other the hard truths.”
The secretary of state’s speech came as Donald Trump, who has vowed to reverse course from the Obama administration’s policy toward Israel, prepares to take office on 20 January. The president-elect issued a prebuttal to Kerry’s speech earlier on Wednesday, tweeting: “We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the U.S., but … not any more.”
“The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (U.N.)! Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!” Trump wrote.
Netanyahu, who has accused the Obama administration of colluding behind the scenes to secure the UN vote, swiftly responded to Trump with a tweet of his own.
“President-elect Trump, thank you for your warm friendship and your clear-cut support for Israel!” Netanyahu wrote, while tagging Trump’s children Ivanka and Donald Jr and sharing images of the Israeli and American flags.
The Israeli prime minister has escalated his war of words with the White House in recent days, threatening to share evidence that Obama was involved in the advancement of the UN vote. The Obama administration has categorically denied the allegations.
Kerry similarly disputed the claims on Wednesday, while criticising those seeking to “distract attention from what the substance of this vote really was all about.”
Previous administrations from both parties have condemned Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Kerry noted.
“Let’s be clear: settlement expansion has nothing to do with Israel’s security,” he said, adding that Israel was staring down the barrel at “one state and perpetual occupation.”
Kerry also aggressively defended the outgoing administration’s legacy on Israel.
“No American administration has done more for Israel’s security than Barack Obama’s,” he said.
“The Israeli prime minister himself has noted our unprecedented military and intelligence cooperation. Our military exercises are more advanced than ever. Our assistance for Iron Dome has saved countless Israeli lives. We have consistently supported Israel’s right to defend itself, by itself, including during actions in Gaza that sparked great controversy.”
US secretary of state pushes two-state solution and criticises Netanyahu in toughest remarks on Israel by a US official in years
John Kerry outlines the Obama administration’s Middle East peace plan at the State Department. Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA
Sabrina Siddiqui in Washington
@SabrinaSiddiqui
Wednesday 28 December 2016 17.45 GMT Last modified on Wednesday 28 December 2016 17.48 GMT
The US secretary of state, John Kerry, has offered a blistering defence of the United States’ decision to not veto a UN resolution condemning Israeli settlement building in a speech that marked the toughest remarks on Israel by a US official in years.
Framing a two-state solution as “the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians”, Kerry also took aim at the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for building a coalition that was “the most rightwing in Israeli history, with an agenda driven by the most extreme elements”.
“I am compelled to respond today that the United States did in fact vote in accordance with our values,” Kerry said of UN security council resolution, which demanded that Israel “immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem”.
“If the choice is one state, Israel can either be Jewish or democratic,” Kerry said. “It cannot be both.”
Set against the backdrop of an unusually charged back-and-forth between the US and Israeli governments, Kerry strongly rejected characterisations of the Obama administration’s actions as hostile toward one of its closest allies.
“Some seem to believe that the US friendship means the US must accept any policy, regardless of our own interests, our own positions, our own words, our own principles - even after urging again and again that the policy must change,” Kerry said. “Friends need to tell each other the hard truths.”
The secretary of state’s speech came as Donald Trump, who has vowed to reverse course from the Obama administration’s policy toward Israel, prepares to take office on 20 January. The president-elect issued a prebuttal to Kerry’s speech earlier on Wednesday, tweeting: “We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the U.S., but … not any more.”
“The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (U.N.)! Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!” Trump wrote.
Netanyahu, who has accused the Obama administration of colluding behind the scenes to secure the UN vote, swiftly responded to Trump with a tweet of his own.
“President-elect Trump, thank you for your warm friendship and your clear-cut support for Israel!” Netanyahu wrote, while tagging Trump’s children Ivanka and Donald Jr and sharing images of the Israeli and American flags.
The Israeli prime minister has escalated his war of words with the White House in recent days, threatening to share evidence that Obama was involved in the advancement of the UN vote. The Obama administration has categorically denied the allegations.
Kerry similarly disputed the claims on Wednesday, while criticising those seeking to “distract attention from what the substance of this vote really was all about.”
Previous administrations from both parties have condemned Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Kerry noted.
“Let’s be clear: settlement expansion has nothing to do with Israel’s security,” he said, adding that Israel was staring down the barrel at “one state and perpetual occupation.”
Kerry also aggressively defended the outgoing administration’s legacy on Israel.
“No American administration has done more for Israel’s security than Barack Obama’s,” he said.
“The Israeli prime minister himself has noted our unprecedented military and intelligence cooperation. Our military exercises are more advanced than ever. Our assistance for Iron Dome has saved countless Israeli lives. We have consistently supported Israel’s right to defend itself, by itself, including during actions in Gaza that sparked great controversy.”
