Here in full is Secretary of State John Kerry’s praiseworthy speech on how Israel can obtain peace.
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From the About section of YouTube
Kerry: UN vote was about preserving 2-state solution, no peace for Israel without it. In major address on Israeli-Palestinian conflict, secretary of state sets out key principles for peacemaking; slams settlement expansion and Fatah incitement; vows US will not impose final agreement, as direct negotiations only way forward
Kerry says “mistrust is too high,” and “more negotiations with no progress will only reinforce the worst fears.”
He lays out principles for when both sides “are ready.”
The principles include “provide for secure and recognized borders between Israel and a viable and contiguous Palestinian state” based on 1967 lines, with mutual land swaps. He says land swaps necessary to reflect changes on the ground.
The second principle, based on Resolution 181, is “two states for two people with mutual recognition and full equal rights for all citizens.” He says recognition of Israel as Jewish state is important, and hints Palestinians are now willing to do so, provided Israel recognizes a Palestinian homeland.
Third principle is a “just, fair, and realistic solution for the Palestinian refugee issue” with compensation, acknowledgement of suffering, and international assistance. He says the plight of Palestinian refugees is “heartbreaking” and must be addressed.
Four: An agreed resolution for Jerusalem as the internationally recognized capital of two states with freedom of worship in accordance with status quo. He says Jerusalem should not be divided, but says there will be no peace without having a shared capital in Jerusalem.
Five: Satisfy Israel’s security needs. He says the Palestinians must build a non-militarized state.
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Donald Trump is no friend to Israel.
A one-state solution is stupid.
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The two-state solution is the only way Israel can achieve peace. Peace is a sine qua non for continuing Theodor Herzl’s dream of Israel being a homeland for the Jewish people. As Jabotinsky observed, “In the Diaspora, even the rocks are anti-Semitic.”
Feel free to use the contact form to discuss the twin requirements of having Israel being a homeland for the Jewish people and the necessity to achieve peace.
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