Kerry's speech stirs mixed reactions among Palestinians

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's Wednesday speech over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has prompted mixed reactions among the Palestinians.

Kerry's speech came just days after the UN Security Council voted in favor of a resolution demanding a halt to Israeli settlement construction in occupied Palestinian territories, where the United States abstained from voting.

He called on Israel and the Palestinians to accept the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders.

"Despite our best efforts over the years, the two-state solution is now in serious jeopardy," Kerry said. "We cannot, in good conscience, do nothing, and say nothing, when we see the hope of peace slipping away."

Kerry also said Jerusalem should be the shared capital of both states.

In response, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in a press statement that the Palestinians are committed to the just peace as a strategic choice.

"In case the Israeli government accepts a halt of settlement activities, including east Jerusalem, and mutually implement the signed agreements, the Palestinian leadership would be immediately ready to resume the peace talks on the permanent status questions," said Abbas.

He went on saying that the resumption of the peace negotiations "should be made in accordance to a specific timetable based on the international law and the international resolutions, including last week's United Nations Security Council resolution 2334."

But not all Palestinian officials see Kerry's remarks as totally positive.

The left-wing group Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine also expressed dissatisfaction with Kerry's speech, saying his vision would harm the legitimate rights of the Palestinians.

"We should be aware to avoid this trap that is based on protecting the Zionist entity and disregards the Palestinian legitimate rights, mainly the right of return for refugees," the group warned.

Meanwhile, Islamic Hamas movement said that John Kerry's speech didn't bring anything new.

"The speech hasn't brought anything new, and it seems that there will be no change in the American policies," Abdulatif al-Qanoo, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said in an emailed press statement. "Hamas wants to see a real change in the U.S. foreign policies in a way that backs ending the (Israeli) occupation and be fair with our Palestinian people."

"All former accords brought us nothing but only destruction," he added.

The spokesman also slammed Kerry's remarks that Hamas and other Palestinian military groups are building up underground tunnels in the Gaza Strip which harms Israeli security.

"As the (Israeli) occupation has the right to own a large military arsenal and buys warplanes, Hamas and other Palestinian resistance groups also have the right to develop the needed abilities to confront the occupation," said al-Qanoo.

Ahmed Majdalanian, an official in Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) told Xinhua that Kerry's speech "was too late to clearly unveil its position concerning peace and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

"I think if this position had been clear during the second presidential term of President Obama four years ago, the map of the Middle East and of the entire region would have changed," he said.

Meanwhile, Akram Atallah, a Gaza-based political analyst, told Xinhua that "the speech of Kerry won't be influential on the Israeli government because it decided to deal with new elected President Donald Trump that will take office next month."

"The current U.S. Administration has left the Palestinians in a difficult position because they are currently dealing with an administration that rejects settlement, but next month will deal with another one that doesn't reject settlement," the analyst said.

Yasser Abed Rabbo, a former official in the PLO executive committee, however, said that Kerry's remarks "are important, good and positive and it has to be seriously kept in considerations."

"As long as the U.S. makes such remarks, we should bear it in mind because it helps us to be more influential on the world's public opinion and will help us to show that the international legitimacy is the base for peace," said Rabbo.

source: Xinhua