In his Wednesday speech on the Middle East, outgoing secretary of state John Kerry said a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinian people was the only way to achieve piece. Kerry, the 2004 Democratic nominee for president, also scolded the leadership of the democratic Jewish state of Israel for failing to recognize what he called a “fundamental reality.”
“If the choice is one state, Israel can either be Jewish or democratic. It cannot be both, and it won’t ever really be at peace,” Kerry said, adding that the Palestinians cannot “realize” their own aspirations as a people without a homeland of their own.
“After decades of conflict, many no longer see the other side as people, only as threats and enemies,” Kerry continued. “Both sides continue to push a narrative that plays to people’s fears and reinforces the worst stereotypes rather than working to change perceptions and build up the belief in the possibility of peace.”
Kerry also claimed the Obama administration has done more than any other American presidency for the security of the state of Israel, just days after the United States abstained from a vote on a United Nations Security Council resolution that deems Israeli settlement activity within territory claimed by the Palestinians illegal.
