Kerry defends US vote on Israeli settlements

WASHINGTON — Facing searing Israeli criticism in the wake of the US decision to abstain on a UN Security Council resolution criticizing Israeli settlements last week, US Secretary of State John Kerry defended the US decision in an impassioned speech Dec. 28, saying Washington can’t stand by as continued settlement expansion forecloses the possibility of a two-state solution.

“Regrettably, some seem to believe that the US friendship means the US must accept any policy, regardless of our own interests,” Kerry said in the 70-minute speech at the State Department. “Friends need to tell each other the hard truths, and friendships require mutual respect.”