Kerry Will Speak on Mideast Peace After Israel Vote

Secretary of State John Kerry will give a major Middle East policy speech Wednesday, following last week’s UN Security Council vote to condemn Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. The 14-0 vote last Friday, which the U.S. abstained from, has been followed by an outcry from Israel—including threats to withdraw UN funding. Israeli leaders have harshly criticized the U.S. for not vetoing the resolution. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who already had a rocky relationship with President Obama, called the abstention “shameful.” Kerry, who only has three weeks left in office, will use the remarks Wednesday to “address some of the misleading critiques” directed at the Obama administration, The New York Times reports. Netanyahu on Wednesday also instructed the Jerusalem municipality to postpone the scheduled approval of new housing units—at least until after Kerry’s speech—in order to avoid straining already tense U.S.-Israeli relations. A committee planned to finalize the plans Wednesday for 492 new homes in East Jerusalem, despite the Friday vote.