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AIPAC Statement on
Secretary Kerry's Speech
Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech today was a failed attempt to defend the indefensible.
Contrary to Secretary of State Kerry's address today, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution that the administration unconscionably failed to block was unfair, unbalanced and represented a profound departure from the policies of previous Democratic and Republican administrations for nearly the past forty years. Secretary Kerry placed overwhelming, disproportionate blame for the failure to advance peace on our ally, Israel, while neglecting numerous Israeli peace offers and Palestinian refusal to resume direct talks.
Any potential, positive contribution from this speech was foreclosed by the Obama Administration's shameful refusal to veto the destructive, anti-Israel UNSC resolution. By abstaining, and thereby allowing the resolution to pass, the outgoing administration not only betrayed a democratic ally and abandoned a forty-year understanding, but it also made the goal of peace more elusive by undermining direct talks, reinterpreting UN Security Council Resolution 242, and providing the recalcitrant Palestinian leadership with further incentive not to compromise or negotiate.
Over the past eight years, Israel has repeatedly tried to advance the negotiations process, including the imposition of a settlement freeze and the release of convicted Palestinian terrorists-- a step that was deeply difficult for the Israeli people. In response, the Palestinians made no significant gesture to advance the cause of peace. Yet, the intransigence of the Palestinian leadership is now being rewarded by the administration and others through destructive resolutions and counterproductive attempts to internationalize the conflict.
Instead of allowing outside parties to irresponsibly set out their own terms, conditions or parameters for an agreement, the United States should pressure the Palestinian leadership to return to the negotiating table with the Israelis-- the appropriate venue to forge a lasting resolution of the conflict and achieve the objective of a two-state solution. As even Secretary Kerry made clear in his speech, it would be wrong to seek to impose conditions or to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state. This is also the approach that has the support from the overwhelming majority of both Democrats and Republicans in Congress.
AIPAC calls upon the bipartisan congressional majority and the incoming Trump Administration to renounce the recent action taken by this administration and to begin the work of repairing the damage done to the cause of peace and the U.S-Israel
https://article.wn.com/view/2016/12/28/AIPAC_Statement_on_Secretary_Kerrys_Speech_AIPAC_American_Is/
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Review of bullet points:
1)The UNSC Resolution passed last week is unconscionable, because it places overwhelming, disproportionate blame on Israel for the current state of the conflict. Because of this imbalance, the resolution will ultimately fail.
2)Regardless of previous abstentions and votes against Israel by previous Administrations, there was always an UNDERSTANDING between the 2 nations that the US would back Israel up. The abstention turned that to dust, for the time being. Other, less consequential nations, however, will point to this resolution and look to take other actions, which will not result in a nation of Palestine, living side by side, in peace with Israel. No, it opens the door for more hostility. For this reason, it also fails.
3)The resolution emboldens the Palestinians to seek statehood without the need to negotiate directly with Israel. Although there have been several attempts at this, the lion's share of blame for lack of direct negotiations rests with the Palestinians.
4)AIPAC reminds us that Israel has enjoyed broad, bi-partisan support since it's inception, and will continue to do so.
I am confident that they will work diligently with the new Administration to repair the damage that these irresponsible actions have created.