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Kerry Defends Israel Before U.N. Human Rights Panel

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Kerry’s Remarks to U.N. on Nuclear Talks

Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the Iranian nuclear talks, saying that Israel’s security is important, but “so is the security of all the other countries in the region.”

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (MARCH 2, 2015) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, JOHN KERRY, SAYING: “We continue to believe, all the members of the P5 +1, that the best way to deal with the question surrounding this nuclear programme is to find a comprehensive deal, but not a deal that comes at any cost. Not a deal just for the purpose of a deal. A deal that meets the test of providing the answers and the guarantees that are needed in order to know that the four past way for a nuclear bomb have been closed off. That is the task and we hope it is possible to get there but there is no guarantee.” (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, JOHN KERRY, SAYING: “Israel’s security is absolutely at the forefront of all of our minds. But frankly, so is the security of all the other countries in the region. So is our security in the United States.”

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Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the Iranian nuclear talks, saying that Israel’s security is important, but “so is the security of all the other countries in the region.”CreditCredit...Jean-Christophe Bott/European Pressphoto Agency

GENEVA — Secretary of State John Kerry came to the defense of Israel before a United Nations human rights body on Monday, saying that the “unbalanced focus” on Israel was undermining the organization’s credibility.

“It must be said that the H.R.C.’s obsession with Israel risks undermining the credibility of the entire organization,” Mr. Kerry said, using an abbreviation for the Human Rights Council.

The Obama administration has sought in recent days to portray itself as a staunch supporter of Israel’s security, even as it has differed sharply with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the merits of the potential deal that would limit Iran’s nuclear program.

Susan E. Rice, President Obama’s national security adviser, is expected to deliver that message in her appearance on Monday at a conference organized by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Mr. Kerry sought to bolster that position in his address, emphasizing that the United States “will oppose any effort by any group or participant in the U.N. system to arbitrarily and regularly delegitimize or isolate Israel.”

American officials are particularly concerned that a United Nations inquiry into the 2014 conflict in Gaza may be biased and could be used by critics to try to isolate Israel, politically or economically.

“Our hope is that the council will continue to shift its focus away from Israel and really focus on the bad human rights violators throughout the world,” a senior State Department official told reporters on Sunday, referring to nations like Syria and North Korea, which Mr. Kerry has singled out for its “appalling” human rights record.

For all his support of Israel, however, Mr. Kerry warned in a news conference after his speech against selective leaks of the nuclear talks, saying that could complicate unfinished negotiations. Mr. Kerry did not say specifically who he feared might reveal the details, but it seemed clear that he was referring to Mr. Netanyahu and his aides.

After providing his defense of Israel, Mr. Kerry left for Montreux, Switzerland, and a negotiating session with Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister.

Iran has yet to respond to questions posed by the International Atomic Energy Agency about suspected work on nuclear weapon designs, Mr. Kerry said, or accept all of the verification measures that would be needed to strictly monitor the accord.

“Iran needs to answer those questions, and Iran needs to give confidence to the world,” Mr. Kerry said.

Making a point that the Iranian leadership has emphasized in recent weeks, Mr. Zarif said that Tehran was insisting that economic sanctions be lifted quickly if an accord is reached.

“Our negotiating partners, particularly the Western countries and particularly the United States, must once and for all come to the understanding that sanctions and agreement don’t go together,” Mr. Zarif said. “If they want an agreement, sanctions must go.”

Washington has said that sanctions should be removed in stages as the agreement is implemented, with the pace of sanctions relief proving a major issue in the talks.

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