Kerry: Israel can be Jewish or democratic – not both. Calls settlements 'flagrant violation of international law'

[rangerrebew]

Kerry: Israel can be Jewish or democratic – not both
Calls settlements 'flagrant violation of international law'
Published: 18 hours ago


Outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday lectured Israel that it cannot be both Jewish and a democracy, saying it must give up its territory and settlements to allow for a Palestine, in a speech that fell into alignment with the Obama administration’s efforts to tell Israel what it wants in the Middle East.

In a speech as his tenure at the State Department is quickly approaching its termination, Kerry said, “The truth is that trends on the ground, violence, terrorism, settlement expansion and the seemingly endless occupation, they are combining to destroy hopes for peace on both sides and increasingly cementing … an irreversible one state reality that most people do not actually want.

“Today, there are a similar number of Jews and Palestinians living between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean Sea. They have a choice. They can choose to live together in one state or they can separate into two states. But here is a fundamental reality. If the choice is one state, Israel can either be Jewish or democratic. It cannot be both. And it won’t ever really be at peace.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2016/12/kerry-israel-can-be-jewish-or-democratic-not-both/#QkeVk7XbvGPz72iG.99

[txradioguy]

What a bigoted and idiotic statement.

[geronl]

What a bigoted and idiotic statement.

It is very antisemitic IMO

[Silver Pines]

Ben Shapiro ‏@benshapiro  23h23 hours ago
The great wonder is that an Easter Island head has the capacity of speech.


Bosch Fawstin ‏@BoschFawstin  49m49 minutes ago
Hey, @JohnKerry, blowing up buildings is a threat to peace, not building them. You deserve your face.

[geronl]

Jewish Democrats in America must be a bit confused by his statement. lol

[Just_Victor]

I'm trying to figure out what international law declares that a country cannot settle territories within its own borders.

[endicom]

Ben Shapiro ‏@benshapiro  23h23 hours ago
The great wonder is that an Easter Island head has the capacity of speech.

That's a good one.

[Silver Pines]

That's a good one.

@endicom



Isn't it?  It's so accurate, lol.

[mountaineer]

When will he tell Iran, Saudi Arabia, et al., that they can't be Islamic?

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Well, as much of a jackhole as Kerry is, the full statement in context isn't all that ridiculous.  He was talking specifically about a one-state solution -- Israel including all of the West Bank, etc.  If that is the case, then the total Arab population would be close to the total Jewish population, and the voting-age Arab population likely would overtake that of Jews sometime in the next decade.  So in that case, a democratic Israel likely could not remain a Jewish state, because Jews would be a minority.

[txradioguy]

The way I look at it...the Palestinians had their chance to have their own state back in 1948 and chose instead to go to war with the newly formed state of Israel along with the Arab League.

The sorry condition the Palestinians are in now is solely of their own doing.

[thackney]

Well, as much of a jackhole as Kerry is, the full statement in context isn't all that ridiculous.  He was talking specifically about a one-state solution -- Israel including all of the West Bank, etc.  If that is the case, then the total Arab population would be close to the total Jewish population, and the voting-age Arab population likely would overtake that of Jews sometime in the next decade.  So in that case, a democratic Israel likely could not remain a Jewish state, because Jews would be a minority.

Israel, without the West Bank has a population of 8,174,527.  Jewish 74.8%, Muslim 17.6%
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/is.html

The West Bank has a population of 2,697,687 counting the Palestinian population only.  Muslim 80-85% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 12-14%  In addition to the Palestinian population, there are Israel settlers, population 371,000.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/we.html

If you combine the West Bank and Israel into one nation, it would be ~65% Jewish.

[DCPatriot]

Well, as much of a jackhole as Kerry is, the full statement in context isn't all that ridiculous.  He was talking specifically about a one-state solution -- Israel including all of the West Bank, etc.  If that is the case, then the total Arab population would be close to the total Jewish population, and the voting-age Arab population likely would overtake that of Jews sometime in the next decade.  So in that case, a democratic Israel likely could not remain a Jewish state, because Jews would be a minority.

Virtually every Muslim country in the Middle East forbids Christians from even PRACTICING their religion. 

Let Kerry get back to us when he also rationalizes the plight of the American Indian.  And 'HIS' land.

Fumb Duck!

[TomSea]

I heard some speaker, fair expertise on the radio and they were indicating there may be a way to undo this matter, the resolution. Other sources, seem to sound like it is cast in stone. So we will see.

I think who said that is the guest-host on Glen Beck,  Buck Sexton.
http://www.theblaze.com/author/buck-sexton/

So, FWIW.

[thackney]

Virtually every Muslim country in the Middle East forbids Christians from even PRACTICING their religion.

While they certainly don't stand on equal footing, that isn't true.

Even in the overly oppressive Saudi Arabia, Christian church services still happen openly every week, in Aramaco compounds.

I spent some time living in Yemen, and traveled through a few of the others a while back.  I interviewed for a job in Saudi and this was one of the topics discussed.

[Emjay]

What a bigoted and idiotic statement.

I always post this on any Kerry story:

Thank you Swift Boaters.

[Night Hides Not]

What a bigoted and idiotic statement.

Next time someone makes a joke about Dan Quayle, I'm bringing up John Kerry's obtuseness.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Israel, without the West Bank has a population of 8,174,527.  Jewish 74.8%, Muslim 17.6%
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/is.html

You're going just by religion.   Ethnically, your link has non-Jews ("mostly Arab") at 25.2%.

The West Bank has a population of 2,697,687 counting the Palestinian population only.  Muslim 80-85% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 12-14%  In addition to the Palestinian population, there are Israel settlers, population 371,000.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/we.html

If you combine the West Bank and Israel into one nation, it would be ~65% Jewish.

You're excluding Gaza, which I don't think is practical.  That puts 4.4 million Arabs in the WB/Gaza, plus at least another 1.6 million or so in Israel.  That's 6.0 million.  Jews total about 6.3 million.  That's close, and given the relative birth/death rates, that means a non-Jewish majority within a decade, max.

[HonestJohn]

The way I look at it...the Palestinians had their chance to have their own state back in 1948 and chose instead to go to war with the newly formed state of Israel along with the Arab League.

The sorry condition the Palestinians are in now is solely of their own doing.

They had the chance to form their own state from 1948-1967, when Israel didn't control the West Bank or Gaza Strip.  Each and every single day for 19 years... they had the chance to declare a state.

And they didn't. 

They had a chance in the 2000 peace negotiations under Bill Clinton, too.  The details were ironed out to the nitty-gritty.

And Arafat walked.

I say that any people who are given nearly 7,000 (365*19=6,935) chances for a nation and violently refuse *EVERY SINGLE ONE*... is a people who do not want a nation.

[thackney]

You're going just by religion.

 

I thought that was the point of this discussion.

You're excluding Gaza, which I don't think is practical.  That puts 4.4 million Arabs in the WB/Gaza, plus at least another 1.6 million or so in Israel.  That's 6.0 million.  Jews total about 6.3 million.  That's close, and given the relative birth/death rates, that means a non-Jewish majority within a decade, max.

Thanks for the correction.  I get another 1.75 million, essentially all Muslim, 5.7 million.  My math puts that at 56% Jewish, still a majority.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/print_gz.html

[geronl]

One of the most anti-semitic things ever uttered by an American diplomat

[geronl]

They had the chance to form their own state from 1948-1967, when Israel didn't control the West Bank or Gaza Strip.  Each and every single day for 19 years... they had the chance to declare a state.

Israel even supported them having a state (without Jerusalem) for much of that time. But having a state would come with responsibilities and one of those is not attacking a neighboring country who would be able to declare war formally on your state.