Secretary of State John Kerry does not believe that Israel is an apartheid state, according to his spokesperson, who refused to confirm that he said the country could turn into “an apartheid state with second-class citizens” if the peace talks fail.

“The secretary does not believe and did not state publicly or privately that Israel is an apartheid state,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters Monday, adding that he regards Israel as “a vibrant democracy and he continues to believe that there should be an can be a path toward a two-state solution.”