For more than thirty years in the United States Senate, I didn’t just speak words in support of Israel, I walked the walk when it came time to vote and when it came time to fight. As Secretary of State, I have spent countless hours working with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Justice Minister Livni because I believe in the kind of future that Israel not only wants, but Israel deserves. I want to see a two state solution that results in a secure Jewish state and a prosperous Palestinian state, and I’ve actually worked for it.
I will not allow my commitment to Israel to be questioned by anyone, particularly for partisan, political purposes, so I want to be crystal clear about what I believe and what I don’t believe.
First, Israel is a vibrant democracy and I do not believe, nor have I ever stated, publicly or privately, that Israel is an apartheid state or that it intends to become one. Anyone who knows anything about me knows that without a shred of doubt.
Second, I have been around long enough to also know the power of words to create a misimpression, even when unintentional, and if I could rewind the tape, I would have chosen a different word to describe my firm belief that the only way in the long term to have a Jewish state and two nations and two peoples living side by side in peace and security is through a two state solution. In the long term, a unitary, binational state cannot be the democratic Jewish state that Israel deserves or the prosperous state with full rights that the Palestinian people deserve. That’s what I said, and it’s also what Prime Minister Netanyahu has said. While Justice Minister Livni, former Prime Ministers Barak and Ohlmert have all invoked the specter of apartheid to underscore the dangers of a unitary state for the future, it is a word best left out of the debate here at home.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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13 Responses
Imagine if he’d have won in ’04.
Big if inly Donald Sterling can just make something he said just go away by saying
if I could rewind the tape, I would have chosen a different word.
Boy if only
I believe that John Kerry’s statement is sincere. I believe that G-d’ promises are true. Let’s wait and see. Yisrael Stephen Levine, Jerusalem College of Technology
He forgets to mention, that he should be apologising to hundreds of South Africans who suffered under apartheid. The Blacks of that time would have LOVED to have it as good as Arabs in Israel.
The Romans came and went Greece came and went now the USA will come and go so will the Kerry’s and Obamas will go we have to hope to g-d they go soone then later all wanted the best for us Jews and know what is good for us and our interest , but we must look out to do the best for the poor Arabs
There is one eensie-weensie-teensie small piece of information that is missing from YWN’s coverage of Mr. Kerry’s “apartheid” remarks: the actual remarks, in context, reported accurately and without opinion. YWN has posted an opinion piece from Fox News (all articles from Fox News are actually opinion pieces), reports of comments from Republican Senator (and nudnik) Ted Cruz and House Republican Whip (and Jew) Kantor, and even a clarification from (horsey-faced) Mr. Kerry, but the statement he is clarifying is not reported.
I cannot compromise my principles of sound reason and accuracy if YWN does not report Mr. Kerry’s comments, and I therefore cannot make a comment about Mr. Kerry’s “apartheid” remark. YWN’s readers will thereby be deprived of the benefit of my analysis and opinion. All YWN readers should immediately demand that YWN report Mr. Kerry’s comments directly and accurately from a reliable (e.g., not Fox News) source.
To #8 nfgo3:
If you had any “principles of sound reason” you would find the source for Kerry speech from various news sites on the web.
Looks like you are more interested in bashing critics of Husain Obama’s inner-circle buddies rather than finding real facts. The enemies of Yiden throughout history relied on loyal Jewish-lapdogs like you to do their dirty tricks.
very nice Mr. Kerry – but – your statemnt is so devoid of any logic as to sound totally retarded.
For example, if someone went over to a man and said, “Hey! YOu are wearing a blue tie with a brown suit! You must be an adulterer!” every one would recognize that this guy is mad.
To say, “Israel, if you don’t make peace soon, you will be seen as an apartheid state” is similarly stupid. Apartheid is a situation where 2 groups are forcibly separated and illegally so. It has nothing to do with peace or war. It is a retarded statement by a statesman!
“Imagine if he’d have won in ’04.”
The US would have been a lot better off. We would not have had the fiscal and regulatory policies that led to the economic collapse and the largest budget deficit in history in Bush’s last year. And a strong America is good for Israel. The only problem is that the sleazebag John Edwards would have been Vice President, but Cheney was no saint, either.
Now will the Israeli politicians who have used similar language to describe their country also apologize?
Good work ywn. If only we were “deprived of the benefit” of nfgo3’s “analysis and opinion” more often.