|
US sees settlements as 'illegitimate': Kerry
[Al Ahram] US Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you knowKerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat,conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... reaffirmed on Wednesday Washington's rejection of Israeli settlement activity in the occupied Paleostinian territories as "illegitimate." "We consider now, and have always considered, the settlements to be illegitimate," Kerry said, after talks in Bethlehem with Paleostinian president the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas ... a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial... focused on shoring up the peace negotiations. "I want to make it extremely clear that at no time did the Paleostinians in any way agree, as a matter of going back to the talks, that they could somehow condone or accept the settlements," Kerry said. "That is not to say that they weren't aware -- or we weren't aware -- that there would be construction," he added. His remarks related to a bitter row that has erupted over Israeli moves during the past week to push ahead with construction of more than 3,700 new settler homes. Several Israeli officials have claimed the settlement announcements were in keeping with tacit "understandings" between the two sides linked to the release last week of 26 veteran Paleostinian prisoners. Their comments sparked furious denials from the Paleostinians. "The Paleostinians believe the settlements are illegal. The United Sates continue to believe the settlements are not helpful," Kerry said. A previous round of direct talks collapsed in September 2010 in an acrimonious row over settlements, with the Paleostinians refusing to negotiate while Israel builds on land they want for a future state. After six months of shuttle diplomacy, Kerry managed to coax the two sides back to the table in late July. But already tempers are fraying, once again over Israeli construction on land seized during the 1967 Six Day War. Posted by: Fred 2013-11-07 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=379169 |