News
Trump pick as Secretary of State: Israel our most important regional ally
The next US Secretary of State nominee told a Congressional confirmation hearing that Israel is Washington’s most important regional ally.
Rex Tillerson, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for the key role, faced several hours of questions from Congressional members, who must approve his nomination as Washington’s top diplomat. Although much of the hearing focused on relations with Russia, Tillerson was asked directly by Republican Senator John Barrasso about his views on Israel and the decision last month by the Obama Administration not to veto a United Nations’ (UN) Security Council resolution considered hostile towards Israel.
Tillerson said: “Israel is, has always been, and remains our most important ally in the region… They’re important to our national security.”
He added: “I think… the President-elect has already made it clear, and if I’m confirmed I agree entirely with support [for Israel].”
Addressing last month’s resolution, he said: “The UN resolution that was passed, in my view, is not helpful. It actually undermines a good set of conditions for talks to continue.”
He described the resolution as an attempt to “coerce” Israel, adding “That will not lead to a solution”. Tillerson also said he found current Secretary of State John Kerry’s subsequent speech, which criticised Israel’s government and its policies, “quite troubling”.
Asked by Democrat Senator and former Vice-Presidential candidate Tim Kaine what he would do to promote peace, Tillerson said that the two-state solution “has to be a shared aspiration of all of us”.
He added: “I think that is the dream that everyone is in pursuit of,” but “Whether it can ever be a reality remains to be seen.”
Tillerson said that leaders on both sides had not seized the opportunities to make progress. However, he reserved specific condemnation for the Palestinian leaderships, saying “until there is a serious demonstration on their part and they are willing to do more than just renounce violence… it is very difficult to create conditions… to have any productive discussion around [a] settlement”.