(Editor’s Note: Secretary of State John Kerry responds below to criticism of his use of the word “apartheid” in an overheard private conversation.)
By John Kerry
WASHINGTON, D.C. — 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 Olmert 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.
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In response, the Anti-Defamation League issued this statement: “The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today welcomed the statement from Secretary of State John Kerry that he does not believe, and has not ever stated publicly or privately, that Israel is an “apartheid state” and his acknowledgement that it has no place in the debate. Secretary Kerry engendered criticism from Jewish groups, including ADL and others, after invoking the term last week in a closed-door meeting of the Trilateral Commission during a briefing on the status of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement: ‘We welcome Secretary Kerry’s clear affirmation that Israel is not an apartheid state nor headed in that direction should talks with the Palestinians fail. He now has publicly acknowledged that he made a mistake in using that term. Apartheid is a particularly loaded epithet that has repeatedly been used by Israel’s worst enemies to delegitimize the Jewish state and suggest it promulgates abhorrent racial policies similar to those of the apartheid regime in South Africa. While we may disagree from time to time, we have never doubted Secretary Kerry’s commitment to Israel’s security and his good faith efforts to find a fair, equitable and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He is a true friend of Israel. His statement makes that clear, and we consider this chapter closed. ”
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Preceding provided by the U.S. State Department and the Anti-Defamation League