Rex Tillerson, President-elect Trump’s pick to be secretary of state, denounced countries that support the boycott Israel movement and questioned the two-state solution at his Senate confirmation hearing.
The former Exxon CEO vowed to make the fight against BDS a key priority.
“Countries [that support BDS] need to understand that it does shape our view of them,” Tillerson said.
Tillerson called the goal of a Palestinian state alongside Israel a “dream.”
“Whether it could ever be a reality remains to be seen,” he said.
The 64-year-old also questioned outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry for his recent speech laying out parameters for peace in the Middle East, and criticized the U.S. decision not to veto a UN resolution blasting Israel’s Jewish settlements on occupied Palestinian land.
Author
Dave Goldiner
Dave Goldiner is the Forward’s director of digital media. Dave is a veteran journalist who has spent two decades working at newspapers in the United States and Africa. A native New Yorker, Goldiner wrote for the New York Daily News, where he covered some of the biggest stories of our time, including the attacks of September 11, along with thousands of stories of hope and heartbreak. He also studied and worked in Southern Africa and has written for publications in South Africa and Zimbabwe. He holds masters degrees in journalism and public administration from Columbia University. Dave can be reached at goldiner@forward.com, or follow him on Twitter @davegoldiner
Rex Tillerson Blasts BDS and Questions Two-State Solution at Confirmation Hearing