Jewish leaders are reportedly infuriated over US Secretary of State John Kerry's remark that Israel risks becoming an "apartheid state" if it fails to reach a two-state solution.
According to The Washington Times, Kerry told senior officials during a closed meeting on Friday that a two-state solution is the "only real alternative" for Israel and the Palestinian territories, because a unitary state winds up either being an apartheid state with second-class citizens, or it ends up being a state that destroys the capacity of Israel to be a Jewish state.
Appreciating Kerry for his commitment to the region, the Anti-Defamation League, an international Jewish NGO based in the US, said that his comments "used the repugnant language of Israel's adversaries and accusers" and were "not seen as expressions of friendship and support," the report added.
ADL National Director Abe Foxman expressed his disappointment over Kerry's choice of words.
He said that it is startling and deeply disappointing that a diplomat so knowledgeable and experienced about democratic Israel chose to use such an inaccurate and incendiary term.
Leaders of pro-Israel organizations also slammed Kerry for using the term "apartheid," deeming it appalling and alarmist because of its racial connotations.
Meanwhile, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki reportedly said the secretary was simply repeating his view, shared by others, that the only way to have two nations and two peoples living side by side in peace and security is through a two-state solution.
