In response to Secretary of State John Kerry’s remarks this weekend, J Street released the following statement:
Israel today is not an apartheid state, and that’s not what Secretary of State Kerry said. For over a year now, Kerry has argued that, without a two-state solution, Israel is risking its future and its values as it moves toward permanent rule over millions of Palestinians without equal rights. Former Prime Ministers Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert have used the “apartheid” term as well to describe this possible future.
Instead of putting energy into attacking Secretary Kerry, those who are upset with the Secretary’s use of the term should put their energy into opposing and changing the policies that are leading Israel down this road.
Notably, Secretary Kerry also signaled that the US may soon advance a comprehensive plan for a final agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. J Street believes that fairly and impartially stating the US view on resolving the core issues of the conflict could be an important step toward reaching an agreement, and we strongly encourage Kerry to continue his engagement with this issue.