Kerry defends abstaining on UN vote against Israel

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Kerry defends abstaining on UN vote against Israel He says US is trying to preserve two-state solution Jim Michaels USA TODAY Secretary of State John Ker- ry on Wednesday defended the controversial decision to ab- stain on a U.N. vote condemn- ing Israeli settlements, saying the Obama administration wants to push a two-state solu- tion for peace with Palestinians.

"That is what we are trying to preserve for our sake and (Is- rael's)," Kerry said. "We reject the criticism that this vote abandons Israel." In a lengthy explanation of his vision for peace in the Mid- die East, Kerry assailed Israeli settlements on land claimed by Palestinians for an independent state as an obstacle to peace.

He said the settlements prospects for put peace in "jeopardy:" Kerry said a two-state solu- tion, which calls for an inde- pendent Palestinian state existing peacefully alongside Is- rael, is the only way to guaran- tee the Jewish state's long-term security.

Israeli Prime Minister Benja- min Netanyahu, who had con- demned the U.S. for abstaining in Friday's Security Council vote, lashed out at Kerry's ANDREW HARNIK/AP Secretary of State John Kerry speaks Wednesday at the State Department in Washington to staunchly defend the decision to abstain on the U.N.

Security Council resolution to declare Israeli settlements illegal. speech as "almost as unbal- anced as the anti-Israel resolu- tion passed at the UN. last week" The sharp exchange repre- sents another flare-up in the Obama administration's rela- tionship with Israel. Netanyahu was a leading critic of last year's nuclear arms deal with Iran.

President-elect Donald Trump, another critic of the nu- clear deal, wanted the U.S. to veto the U.N. resolution and at- tacked it after it passed. Before Kerry's speech Wednesday, Trump tweeted, "We cannot continue to let Is- rael be treated with such total disdain and disrespect.

They DON EMMERT/AFP/GETTY IMAGES President-elect Donald Trump wanted the U.S. to veto the U.N. resolution and attacked it after it passed. used to have a great friend in the U.S., but not anymore. The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (U.N.)! Stay strong Israel, Janu- ary 20th is fast approaching!" Trump will be inaugurated as president Jan. 20.

Jerusalem had planned to approve permits Wednesday for the construction of hundreds of homes for Israelis in East Jeru- salem, but it postponed a vote, so Kerry could give his speech outlining the Obama admini- stration's vision for peace. About 600,000 Israeli set- tiers live on land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem that both Israel and Palestinians claim rights to.

In addition to condemning Israeli settlements as a "fla- grant violation" of international law, the U.N. resolution con- demned Palestinian attacks on Israelis. Palestinian Authority Presi- dent Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday that he is ready to resume peace talks with Israel if it halts settlement construction.

Prospects for resuming ne- gotiations soon seem highly un- likely as long as Israel's government supports expanded settlements and Palestinians persist in attacking Israelis. Kerry, acknowledging the difficulty of resuscitating peace talks, said Netanyahu's ruling coalition is "the most right- wing in Israel's history." "The settler agenda is defin- ing the future of Israel.

And their stated purpose is clear: They believe in one state," Ker- ry said.

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"Kerry defends abstaining on UN vote against Israel," Public Opinion, 29 December 2016. Covering Palestine archive, CP-2016-009. https://coveringpalestine.org/archive/cp-2016-009