Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Netanyahu slams Kerry over UN vote

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has slammed the United States- and the United Nations- for failing to back Israel, and for contributing to the collapse of the Middle East peace process.

Mr Netanyahu's comments came in direct response to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's swan song speech, just three weeks before the Obama administration hands over the keys to the White House to president-elect, Donald Trump.

President Obama's decision to abstain from a UN resolution last week, condemning Israel over its ongoing building of settlements, has left U.S.-Israel relations in tatters- a situation Donald Trump plans to change.

Nina-Maria Potts reports from Washington:

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SCRIPT

A day that started with a mutually supportive twitter exchange, between incoming US president Donald Trump, and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, ended on a completely different note.

" Stay strong" tweeted Donald Trump to Israel, on twitter, signalling an overhaul of US Middle East policy, when he takes office on January 20th. Mr Netanyahu responded by thanking him for all his support.

Israeli prime minister's anger was reserving his anger for the Obama administration alone.

Responding to a speech by US Secretary of State John Kerry, Mr Netanyahu accused America's top diplomat of undermining Israel:

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For his part, John Kerry sought to set the record straight, insisting the US had only been a friend to Israel, and that this administration had supported it more than any other.

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The US decision to abstain from the UN resolution last week, condemning Israel's ongoing building of settlements, has enraged the Israeli government.

The Obama administration insists Israel's settlements pose the greatest obstacle to peace, and John Kerry is warning that occupation will only breed more violence.

But Benjamin Netanyahu now says he hopes the UN will never vote to damage Israel again-vowing to work with president elect Donald Trump to reverse the damage done by the Obama administration.

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The Obama administration has just three weeks left in office- and its last-ditch efforts to set the stage for peace, have been thwarted by Donald Trump, whose political interference while there's still a sitting president, is seen as unprecedented.

But President Obama's critics insist Donald Trump needs to act now- since he's inherited a mess left by this administration- some have accused Barack Obama of not just damaging US-Israel relations, but of stripping Washington of its influence at the United Nations, and on the global stage, for generations to come.