Ruto changes tune over Israel, Palestine war
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Ruto now says Palestine should be a free state, a shift from an earlier statement in which the president pledged support for Israel
Ruto now says Palestine should be a free state, a shift from an earlier statement in which the president pledged support for Israel.
While speaking on Saturday in the Saudi capital of Riyadh in a meeting of African leaders with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Ruto stated that Kenya feels that neither occupation nor terrorism is the solution to any problem.
“We believe that terrorism cannot be an answer to any conflict; neither is occupation,” Ruto told the convention of mainly pro-Palestine leaders who had gathered to discuss Africa-Saudi relations.
“We believe that Palestine should be a free state and we stand for a two-nation solution as a means of resolving the conflict.”
This was in contrast to his earlier remarks during the start of the conflict, when Ruto declared Kenya’s “solidarity” with Israel.
While Kenya has traditionally called for a two-state solution to end the long-running Israel-Palestine tensions, Ruto at the time noted that the situation was “complex and delicate” but only called for the de-escalation of violence and urged all parties to restrain from further military action.
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“Kenya joins the rest of the world in solidarity with the State of Israel and unequivocally condemns terrorism and attacks on innocent civilians in the country. The people of Kenya and their government hereby express their deepest sympathy and send condolences to the families of all victims. We also wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” he said then.
“Kenya strongly maintains that there exists no justification whatsoever for terrorism, which constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security. All acts of terrorism and violent extremism are abhorrent, criminal, and unjustifiable, regardless of the perpetrator, or their motivations.”
His sentiments contradicted the African Union which castigated Israel for causing the conflict through unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory.
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