In the harshest criticism from a member of the U.S. government against its Israeli ally, Kerry
spent more than an hour venting his frustration with continued Israeli settlement construction and laying out parameters for eventual peace. The settlements and the nearly 50-year-old occupation, he said, is creating a reality on the ground that precludes the possibility of a two-state solution. He stopped short of using the word “apartheid,” but warned that the one-state reality that is emerging will create a “separate and unequal” situation, invoking language from the Jim Crow era.
“The settler agenda is defining the future in Israel,” Kerry said. “Their stated purpose is clear: They believe in one state, greater Israel,” he continued, referring to aspirations by extreme conservatives to eventually annex occupied Palestinian territory.
So be honest. You hard liners don't want to give Palestine it's own country.
Kerry’s premise shouldn’t be controversial. It has been U.S. policy for more than four decades that Israeli settlements pose an obstacle to peace with the Palestinians. But what is peculiar about his remarks is their timing. With just three weeks left in office, it is unclear what he hoped to accomplish with the speech. The answer to that is complicated, but it hinges heavily on the election of Donald Trump.
Next month, the Obama administration hands over policymaking authority to a man who has
encouraged Israel to build more settlements. The president-elect has also nominated David Friedman, a confidante who has
donated to pro-settlement causes, to serve as his ambassador to Israel. In coordination with an Israeli government dominated by politicians who openly disavow the two-state solution, the Trump White House appears poised to reverse decades of bipartisan commitment to Palestinian statehood by greenlighting Israeli settlements.
Why didn't you just say so? You don't want a 2 state solution and you don't give a **** if the world thinks it's wrong that you are building more and more settlements where the Palestinians are living. Just be honest. It took me long enough to figure this out. You could have just told me. We won't stop you. Maybe we can take on more Palestinian refugees the next 4 years.