Kerry: Israeli govt agenda driven by the most extreme elements, jeopardizing two-state solution

[Little Tich]

Source: Times of Israel

Castigating settlement activity and defending Security Council abstention, secretary says friends must tell each other hard truths; sets out principles for accord but says he doesn’t aim to impose terms

WASHINGTON — US secretary of state John Kerry on Wednesday laid out his “comprehensive vision” for the future of Middle East peacemaking, saying that a two-state solution was the “only way to ensure Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state,” but promising that the US would not seek further UN action on the conflict. He spoke days after President Barack Obama infuriated the Israeli government by failing to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding an end to Israel’s settlement activity, thus enabling it to pass.

In a speech that lasted well over an hour, Kerry described settlements as a central obstacle to achieving an agreement between the sides and declared that Israeli actions in the West Bank were putting the two-state solution, which he said was the sole path to peace, “in serious jeopardy.”

Kerry argued that settlement construction in the West Bank was being “strategically placed in locations that make two states impossible” and said the “the status quo is leading toward one state, or perpetual occupation.”

Settlement expansion, he declared, “has nothing to do with Israel’s security.”

Castigating the coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said it was “the most right-wing in Israel history with an agenda driven by the most extreme elements. The result is that policies of this government, which the prime minister himself just described as more committed to settlements than any in Israel’s history, are leading … towards one state. In fact,” he added, “Israel has increasingly consolidated control over much of the West Bank for its own purposes.”

Read more: http://www.timesofisrael.com/kerry-two-state-solution-only-path-to-peace-but-we-wont-impose-deal/

[Little Tich]

1. Full text of Netanyahus response to Kerry speech on Mideast peace

Source: Times of Israel

PM fumes at ‘a speech almost as unbalanced as anti-Israel resolution passed at UN,’ in which ‘Kerry paid lip service to the unremitting Palestinian campaign of terrorism’

After brief remarks in Hebrew, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded in English on December 28, 2016, to US Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech on Middle East peace as follows:

Before why I explain why this speech was so disappointing to millions of Israelis, I want to say that Israel is deeply grateful to the United States of America, to successive American administrations, to the American Congress, to the American people. We’re grateful for the support Israel has received over many, many decades. Our alliance is based on shared values, shared interests, a sense of shared destiny and a partnership that has endured differences of opinions between our two governments over the best way to advance peace and stability in the Middle East. I have no doubt that our alliance will endure the profound disagreement we have had with the Obama Administration and will become even stronger in the future.

But now I must express my deep disappointment with the speech today of John Kerry – a speech that was almost as unbalanced as the anti-Israel resolution passed at the UN last week. In a speech ostensibly about peace between Israelis and Palestinians, Secretary Kerry paid lip service to the unremitting campaign of terrorism that has been waged by the Palestinians against the Jewish state for nearly a century.

What he did was to spend most of his speech blaming Israel for the lack of peace by passionately condemning a policy of enabling Jews to live in their historic homeland and in their eternal capital, Jerusalem.

Read more: http://www.timesofisrael.com/full-text-of-netanyahus-response-to-kerry-speech-on-mideast-peace/

[geek tragedy]

2. This is all part of the grieving process for the death

of the possibility of the Palestinians and the Jews each having their own state. They will instead have each other, forever.

Everyone--everyone--who tried to avert the one-state solution has failed. That's a hard thing to admit.

[brush]

4. Doesn't seem Netanyahu and his coalition tried to avert it at all.

[geek tragedy]

5. Putinyahu is smart enough to know what the one-state solution implies

for the state of Israel's survival. He just lacked the character to do what was needed.

[brush]

6. A one-state solution is what's there, which means the bloodshed will continue.

The Israelis need to ditch Netanyahu for long term peace.

[geek tragedy]

7. They need to start learning Arabic nt

[Lil Missy]

3. Kerry is right. n/t

[shira]

8. Makes no sense since Abbas & the PA rejected Kerry in 2014, not Israel....

Israel to Accept, Palestinians Reject Kerry Peace Plan
http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/24409/Default.aspx

Regional media reports over the weekend indicated that Israel is set to accept US Secretary of State John Kerry's framework proposal for reaching a final status peace agreement, while the Palestinians are looking to stall or outright reject the plan.

Israel's Channel 2 News reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman are all prepared to sign off on a non-binding version of the proposals, which, among other things, recommends:

The division of Jerusalem, though without going into specifics;
A gradual Israeli withdrawal from most of the "West Bank," while retaining control over large Jewish settlement blocs;
A limited land swap to compensate the Palestinians for the settlement blocs;
Recognition of Israel as a "Jewish state"; and
Compensation for so-called "Palestinian refugees," but no "right of return" to Israel-proper.

Israel's Ma'ariv newspaper last week quoted senior Palestinian Authority official Yasser Abed Rabbo as rejecting the American proposal as "Israeli ideas."

Also this...

Kerry’s framework unacceptable to Abbas, says official
http://www.timesofisrael.com/kerrys-framework-unacceptable-to-abbas-says-official/

Israel accepts, Abbas rejects Kerry.....but it's mainly Israel's fault?

Makes no damned sense, other than the USA fears blaming the Palestinians for any failures in the peace process & refuses to put any pressure on them.