GOP TRASHES KERRY SPEECH:
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USA Republican leadership dismissed on Wed. 28 Dec. 2016, Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, vowing a change in policy after President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan disparaged Kerry’s authority, saying that "after allowing this anti-Israel resolution to pass the UN, Secretary Kerry has no credibility to speak on Israeli-Palestinian peace.” Ryan was referring to Friday’s 23 Dec. 2016, Security Council vote condemning Israel’s settlements, in which the USA abstained. Kerry spoke for well over an hour on Wed., revisiting the stinging critique of Israel’s settlement policy that he delivered earlier this month. Miami Senator Marco Rubio said that Kerry had decided to cater to the demands of freedom’s enemies and devote and entire speech to disparaging a country that is one of America’s closest allies. "I look forward to working with President-elect Donald Trump and his incoming team to restore our relationship with Israel to its proper place,” Rubio said.
Republican Jewish Coalition Executive Director Matt Brooks accused the administration of "playing the Jewish community for fools.” "Their recent actions at the UN did nothing more than allow President Obama to take a parting shot at Israel and PM Netanyahu, while at the same time creating new roadblocks to peace. True peace in the region cannot be achieved by isolating Israel in the international community, but rather can only be achieved through direct negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians.” Brooks said that his organization was "confident that President Trump and the Republican Congress will work quickly to reverse these actions, and reestablish the strong bonds between the USA and Israel.” (Times of Israel)