Earlier this weekend, Prime Minister Netanyahu held a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry, during which the Israeli leader revealed his close cooperation with the American top diplomat while reiterating his commitment to advancing peace and stability with Israel’s neighbors. “We had, I thought, an excellent meeting with President Obama I look forward to continuing our conversation which I have to divulge we do every other day my phone sometimes every day but it’s always important and productive to talk directly about how we can advance peace and stability with our neighbors in the region and that’s something I look forward to doing with you now,” Netanyahu said.
Secretary Kerry took the opportunity to praise the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Washington and Jerusalem, which provides some 38 billion dollars of military goods over the course of ten years, while reiterating his commitment to the Jewish state. “The meeting with the president was as the prime minister says very constructive meeting and I think the size and structure of the memorandum of understanding which provides for a long-term commitment of security between the United States and Israel is a remarkable state about the relationship between our countries I don’t think any Secretary of State in history has talked with the Prime Minister of Israel as many times as frequently or visited as frequently as I have and well our term is coming to an end and my affection for Israel my commitment Israel will last well beyond my tenure as Secretary of State and I look forward to continuing to have these conversation,” Kerry said.
The American top diplomat also revealed that the Obama Administration has still aspirations to advance several attainable goals in the next several months to keep a two-state-solution alive for the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, as well as reestablishing stability in the chaotic region, which Kerry said would serve the security of Israel. “There are things we believe we could achieve in the next month’s and there are serious concerns that we all have about security of the region the need for stability need to protect the two-state solution and our hope is obviously that we can find a way to utilize the friendship of our countries to advance what we believe is not only in the highest priority for Israel to provide for its long-term security but also to create a new relationship within the region that can be powerful in reinforcing that long-term security interest,” Kerry said.
The comments by US Secretary of State John Kerry come following a meeting of the ‘Quartet’ of Middle East peace mediators – which consists out of the United States, Russia, the United Nations and European Union – during which the forum said it was strongly opposed to Israel’s ongoing settlement activity on lands recognized by the international community as disputed territories, while warning that it risked ending the chance for a two-state solution with the Palestinians. The Quartet also condemned a resurgence of Palestinian violence against Israelis, and urged both sides to de-escalate tension and show restraint.