Now one thing we do know, if Israel goes down the one state path, it will never have true peace with the rest of the Arab world, and I can say that with certainty. The secretary of state predicts the country will be "90 percent supportive" of the Iran deal as it is implemented. Yet despite growing pressure, the Obama administration held a strong line against U.N. action — any U.N. action. I think -- I mean, the killing that is taking place in Syria is an insult to everybody, to any nation that is seeking decency and rule of law. STEIN: You've been on both sides of this -- legislative branch, executive branch. Transcript type. “Regrettably,” Kerry said on Wednesday, “some seem to believe that the U.S. friendship [with Israel] means the U.S. 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. We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote! And Israelis are fully justified in decrying (ph) attempts to legitimize their state question the right of a Jewish state to exist. If the occupation becomes permanent over the time, the Palestinian Authority could simply dissolve, turn over all the administrative and security responsibilities to the Israelis. I've heard this before from other members of our office. This critical decision about the future, one state or two states, is effectively being made on the ground every single day despite the expressed opinion of the majority of the people. And many have expressed willingness to contribute to that effort, particularly if it brings peace. And there is no doubt that they are prepared to have a fundamentally different relationship with Israel. And I thought about the last time at an intimate, one-on-one Shabbat dinner just a few months before he died when we toasted together to the future of Israel and to the peace that he still so passionately believed in for his people. Israel’s future is a Jewish and democratic state living side by side in peace and security with its neighbors. Most have electricity less than half the time and only five percent of the water is safe to drink. 09/06/2012 08:57 PM EDT. That's news to me. And it should be a last resort. STEIN: Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. That’s what we were standing up for. So the leases existed, and Shell and other companies are going to be drilling somewhere over the course of these next years, because we're not going to suddenly be weaned from oil. And there would be an increasing risk of more intense violence between Palestinians and settlers and complete despair among Palestinians that would create very fertile ground for extremists. The secretary of state predicts the country will be “90 percent supportive” of the Iran deal as it is implemented. This is a very, very important priority for us. We have all known for some time that the Palestinians were intent on moving forward in the U.N. With a settlements resolution and I advised the prime minister repeatedly that further settlement activity only invited U.N. action. General Allen and his team were not suggesting one particular outcome or one particular timeline, nor were they suggesting that work technology alone would resolve these problems, they were simply working on ways to support whatever the negotiators agreed to. I was proud to call him my friend. I guess the 34th vote is not the final element here. That they may take the opportunity of the U.S. clamping down on terrorism funding and say, 'You know what? On my first trip to Israel as a young senator in 1986, I was captivated by a special country, one that I immediately admired and soon grew to love. John Kerry: full transcript of COP22 climate summit speech. And to everybody here, I know it’s the middle of the holiday week. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? Read: John Kerry’s dramatic speech attacking Israel’s settlement policy Here’s a full transcript of the secretary of state’s controversial Wednesday speech. But it was one where the United States has the ability to provide the most assistance. Here's The Full Transcript Of John Kerry's Interview With HuffPost. ... former Secretary of State John Kerry, who`s going to join us. I quote, “With the United States abstaining, the Security Council adopted a resolution today strongly deploring Israel’s handling of the disturbances in the occupied territories, which the resolution defines as including Jerusalem. With international assistance that includes compensation, options and assistance in finding permanent homes, acknowledgment of suffering another measures necessary for comprehensive resolution consistent with two states for two peoples. Now, we all know that a speech alone won’t produce peace, but based on over 30 years of experience and the lessons from the past four years, I have suggested, I believe, and President Obama has signed on to and believes it, a path that the parties could take. The U.S. abstained from voting on the resolution, and elected not to veto it after it passed 14 to 0. And we all understand that the Palestinian authority has a lot more to do to strengthen its institutions and improve governance. And I think the world with the migration crisis in Europe is starting to wake up to the fact that more has to be done. They have a choice. I have spent a great deal of time with key Arab leaders exploring this. Both sides were concerned that any concessions would not be reciprocated and would come at too great a political cost. Former Secretary of State John Kerry slammed President Trump's foreign policy record as a "blooper reel" and talked-up Joe Biden during the 2020 Democratic National Convention Tuesday night. One-hundred-and-twenty years ago, the first Zionist congress was convened in Basel by a group of Jewish visionaries who decided that the only effective response to the waves of anti-Semitic horrors sweeping across Europe was to create a state in the historic home of the Jewish people, where their ties to the land went back centuries; a state that could defend its borders, protect its people and live in peace with its neighbors. Israeli farms flourish in the Jordan River valley, and Israeli resorts line the shores of the Dead Sea. STEIN: Have the Israelis expressed openness to collaborating with Gulf states that have traditionally not been exactly the warmest to Israel? So why are we so concerned? And we have made clear our strong opposition to Palestinian efforts against Israel at the ICC, which only sets back the prospects for peace. And are talented, hungry, eager to work — a young work force. I believe deeply, and I've always believed -- and that was at the heart -- that's why I say go read what I said on the Senate floor. In fact, these steps will help create the conditions for successful talks. And I regretted that vote as a result because I thought it was abused. Now at the same time, we have to be clear about what is happening in the west bank. SHARE. And if we had vetoed this resolution just the other day, the United States would have been giving license to further unfettered settlement construction that we fundamentally oppose. KERRY: Happy Hanukkah. It is waiting, its right there. Over the years, like so many others who are drawn to this extraordinary place, I have climbed Masada, swum in the Dead Sea, driven from one biblical city to another. But I want to stop donating to a refugee crisis and start seeing those people be able to go back home. The Arab peace initiative also envisions enhanced security for all of the region. But roughly half of the country is opposed to it, and virtually every Republican presidential candidate says they're going to rip it up when they get into office. And let there be no doubt in anybody’s mind that the science is absolutely certain. And both sides bear responsibility for that. We’ve never questioned that. SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much. The answer is it doesn’t, which is precisely why so many senior Israeli military and intelligence leaders, past and present, believe the two state solution is the only real answer for Israel’s long-term security. KERRY: No, on the contrary. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Most acknowledge that Jerusalem should not be divided again like it was in 1967, and we believe that. Finally, some 15 years ago, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia came out with a historic Arab peace initiative which offered fully normalized relations with Israel when it made peace — an enormous opportunity then and now which has never been fully embraced. KERRY: It will indeed be unique, but I think that's very much in the air right now. Resolution 242, which has been enshrined in international law for 50 years, provides for the withdrawal of Israel from territory it occupied in 1967 in return for peace with its neighbors and secure and recognized borders. That’s a standard practice with resolutions at the Security Council. STEIN: I’m a Red Sox fan, but I’m a Giants fan. But if information came in to somebody's BlackBerry or on somebody's email that wasn't classified, and then was later classified in the system, that's a whole different ballgame. STEIN: Absent of solving the civil war in Syria, which is not going to happen tomorrow, what can we do in the immediate future? KERRY: Not necessarily, but it's getting something done. Or widespread protests and unrest across the West Bank? That shows an inexplicable ambivalence. The international community can provide significant support and assistance. And the president, unfortunately, because of the reluctance of some members of Congress to even believe it's happening, has to move by administrative order. How does that help the region? We choose instead to draw on the experiences of the last eight years, to provide a way forward, when the parties are ready for serious negotiations. Four million refugees outside. Isn't there a bit of a mixed message there? What can we be doing to make this --. They are leading towards one-state. In fact, Israel has increasingly consolidated control over much of the west bank for its own purposes. How does Israel reconcile a permanent occupation with its democratic ideals? A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. When the law passed first reading in the Israeli Parliament in the Knesset, one of the chief proponents said proudly, and I quote, “Today, the Israeli Knesset moved from heading towards establishing a Palestinian state towards Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.”. KERRY: And I regret that. War should be not a war of choice, it should be a war of necessity. Our military exercises are more advanced than ever. We’ve said that again and again. WASHINGTON, Dec 27 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will lay out his vision for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a speech on … I mean that's really critical. Nobody has ever provided good answers for those questions because there aren’t any. Transcript: Sen. John Kerry On Foreign Policy In this speech, former Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry attacks the way the Bush … I like the job I'm doing, I have great challenges in this job, I have an agenda that I want to pursue over the course of the next months and it's -- like Paris. John Kerry … In the Kurd component of the country, we’ve seen a significant pushback, a more competent, frankly, a pushback against ISIL. So how secure is the deal really? John Kerry Uses DNC Speech to Lie About the Iran Deal In Colorado, They're Counting Gun Shot Fatalities as COVID Deaths ESPN Analyst's Unpatriotic Reason for … COMMENTS By. ... John Kerry Concession Speech. So the settler agenda is defining the future of Israel. STEIN: This is probably an oversimplification, but in some respects, it sounds like there is a trade-off being made here: We're risking the possibility of smaller regional conflict to diminish the likelihood of larger cataclysmic conflict. While ensuring Israel can defend itself effectively and that Palestine can provide security for its people in a sovereign and non-militarized state. In 1978 the State Department legal advisor, advised the Congress of his conclusion, that Israel’s government program establishing civilian settlements in the occupied territory is inconsistent with international law. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. And virtually every country in the world other than Israel opposes settlements. And many other coalition ministers publicly reject a Palestinian state, and they are increasingly getting their way, with plans for hundreds of new units in East Jerusalem recently announced and talk of a major new settlement building effort in the West Bank to follow. I mean literally hundreds of conversations with Prime Minister Netanyahu; I have made clear that continued settlement activity would only increase pressure for international response. And I believe that those collective efforts, including close coordination on border security, intelligence sharing, joint cooperation, joint operation, can all play a critical role in securing the peace. STEIN: We've reached the domestic politics portion of this program I think. Principle 5, satisfy Israel’s security needs and bring a full end, ultimately, to the occupation. Now, you may hear that these remote settlements aren’t a problem because they only take up a very small percentage of the land. If you read my speech, which I invite you to do, that I gave on the floor when I described the vote, I did not vote to rush to war. By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. The Arab world faces its own set of security challenges. (Video production by Marielle Olentine, Jon Strauss and Samuel Wilkes.). John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic nominee, made his case for Joe Biden for president at the Democratic National Convention. The full transcript of a speech on Middle East peace delivered by US Secretary John Kerry at the State Department in Washington, DC, on December 28, 2016. But most of the public either ignores it or has given up hope that anything can be done to change it. But remember, it’s important to note that every United States administration, Republican and Democratic, has opposed settlements as contrary to the prospects for peace. Next year will also mark 50 years since the end of the Six-Day War, when Israel again fought for its survival, and Palestinians will again mark just the opposite — 50 years of military occupation. Below is the full text of John Kerry’s … Listen In 1971 speech, John Kerry spoke of the monster created by the Vietnam War. So the easy thing is classify it and put it away. We have repeatedly and emphatically stressed to the Palestinians that all incitement to violence must stop. In remarks about the path to Middle East peace, Secretary of State John Kerry says the two-state solution is in jeopardy. Thank you. But what do you envision those discussions to be about? The following is a transcript of an interview with Former Secretary of State John Kerry that aired Sunday, January 12, 2020, on "Face the Nation. Many settlements actually increase the security burden on the Israeli defense forces and leaders of the settler movement are motivated by ideological imperatives that entirely ignore legitimate Palestinian aspirations. And their stated purpose is clear. We're here in Washington also to say that the problem of this war is not just a question of war and diplomacy. STEIN: Can we be doing more to help Europe handle this? KERRY: No, I haven't yet. We also strongly reject the notion that somehow the United States was the driving force behind this resolution. And we communicated that to the Israelis and they knew it anyway. But that misses a critical point, my friends; the Arab Israelis are citizens of Israel, subject to Israel’s law. The 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston had one main purpose: to nominate Senator John Kerry to be the Democratic candidate for president. So it was a bad vote. Listen In 1971 speech, John Kerry spoke of the monster created by the Vietnam War. STEIN: You think there's enough element of potential collaboration with the Iranian leadership to get a diplomatic resolution? That is why the holy sites that are sacred to billions of people around the world must be protected and remain accessible, and the established status unmaintained. STEIN: Oh yes, we have. Boston.com Staff January 30, 2013. And I have witnessed firsthand the ravages of a conflict that has gone on for far too long. In fact, one prominent minister who heads a pro-settler party declared just after the U.S. election, and I quote, “The era of the two-state solution is over,” end quote. Effectively reversing the transitions to greater Palestinian civil authority that was called for by the Oslo Accords. That was stated in the Arab peace initiative years ago. It is a strategic catastrophe for the region, for all of us. Today, there are a number — there are a similar number of Jews and Palestinians living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. And we did not take this decision lightly. In which case, the Iranian government is going to have to answer for that. In this -- in this campaign we have a fundamental choice. And I apologize for being a moment late. That includes many of the friends of Israel, including the United Kingdom, France, Russia, all of whom voted in favor of the settlements resolution in 2011 that we vetoed, and again this year along with any other member of the council. We are joined now by Secretary of State John Kerry. We fought using weapons against "oriental human beings." The truth is that trends on the ground, violence, terrorism, incitement (ph), settlement expansion and the seemingly endless occupation, they are combining to destroy hopes for peace on both sides and increasingly cementing an irreversible one state reality that most people do not actually want. KERRY: We also know that there is some 1.7 million Arab citizens who call Israel their home and must now and always be able to live as equal citizens, which makes this a difficult issue for Palestinians and others in the Arab world. Thank you very, very much. The vote in the United Nations was about preserving the two-state solution. I've been working on the climate change issue for years, since I was in the Senate. It was written December 23rd, 1987, 26 years to the day that we voted last week when Ronald Reagan was president. But we cannot, in good conscience, do nothing and say nothing, when we see the hope of peace slipping away. But we're only hearing Democrats and other people talk about overclassification as an issue now that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has had her email issues. Out of those experiences came a steadfast commitment to Israel’s security that has never wavered for a single minute in my 28 years in the Senate or my four years as Secretary. But his current coalition is the most right-wing in Israel history with an agenda driven by the most extreme elements. Whistleblowing on that is about classified information. After decades of conflict, many no longer see the other side as people, only as threats and enemies. Important conversations are happening now. We know this is a big challenge. Shimon was one of the founding fathers of Israel and became one of the world’s great elder statesmen — a beautiful man. Because there really is no viable alternative. In fact, the only time in eight years the Obama administration exercised its veto at the United Nation was against a one-sided settlements resolution in 2011. Have you seen this? If we’re serious about the two state solution, it’s time to start implementing it right now. And I want to share practical suggestions for how to preserve and advance the prospects for the just and lasting peace that both sides deserve. We have strongly apposed (ph) boycotts, investment campaigns, and sanctions targeting Israel in international for a (ph). Along with our quartet partners, we have called on Israel to end the policy of settlement construction and expansion, of taking land for exclusive Israeli use and denying Palestinian development. Advancing the process of separation now in a serious way could make a significant difference in saving the two state solution and in building confidence in the citizens of both sides that peace is indeed possible. The Israeli prime minister himself has noted our quote unprecedented military intelligence cooperation. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS. Thank you. And Resolution 181 is incorporated into the foundational documents of both the Israelis and Palestinians. STEIN: So it's not like you can just cut it off cold turkey here. STEIN: You're obviously -- you're an architect, and you're probably the most vocal booster of the deal. And we understand that in a final status agreement, certain settlements would become part of Israel to account for the changes that have taken place over the last 49 years. We cannot let that happen. Well, there are over 80 settlements east of the separation barrier, many located in places that would make the continuous – a contiguous Palestinian state impossible. We are working on it very hard. Excerpts from Kerry’s speech: The science of climate change is leaping out at us like a scene from a 3D movie. And we cannot properly defend and protect Israel if we allow a viable two-state solution to be destroyed before our own eyes. That's to be able to know that in fact there is an efficient implementation process that you can rely on. KERRY: But this vote was not about that, it was about actions that Israelis and Palestinians are taking that are increasingly rendering a two-state solution impossible. John Kerry's statement on Syria – full transcript. And we did not, in fact, want to give license to go, just, let's go do a war of choice. We must not lose hope in the possibility of peace. Illinois Senate candidate Barack Obama gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday. And it won’t ever really be at peace. The plight of many Palestinian refugees is heartbreaking, and all agree that their needs have to be addressed. For the eight years of the obama/biden administration, we led by example. Let me emphasize, this is not to say that the settlements or the hole or even the primary cause of this conflict, of course they are not. This is a time to stand up for what is right. Since the parties have not yet been able to resume talks, the U.S. and the Middle East quartet have repeatedly called on both sides to independently demonstrate a genuine commitment to the two state solution, not just with words but with real policies. I know we are prepared to do that, including and raising money to help ensure the compensation and other needs of the refugees are met. All Rights Reserved. But we would be doing this in many respects anyway regardless of the deal because Iran’s activities with respect to Hezbollah, its transfer of weapons to the Iraqi Shia militia, its transfer of weapons to the Houthi and elsewhere, are deeply disturbing. Now, in the end, we all understand that the final status agreement can only be achieved through direct negotiations between the parties. John Kerry Israel speech: Transcript of demand for two-state solution to Middle East crisis. STEIN: You've got a Dunkin Donuts in this building now, which is great for a New Englander like yourself. The Egyptians and Palestinians had long made clear to all of us, to all of the international community, their intention to bring a resolution to a vote before the end of the year. Who would administer the schools and hospitals, and on what basis? STEIN: So you think this is largely bluster? That’s one of the most striking realities about the current situation. And for the sake of future generations of Israelis and Palestinians, for all the people of the region, for the United States, for all those around the world who have prayed for and worked for peace for generations, let’s hope that we are all prepared, and particularly Israelis and Palestinians, to make those choices now. 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