Kerry calls PM from Paris, says he’s working to soften statement

US Secretary of State John Kerry called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from the Paris peace conference and promised him he’d work to soften the conference’s final text and to prevent further action against Israel at the UN. He promises to prevent any followup action, either at the confab itself or at the UN Security Council.

Kerry updated Netanyahu about the steps he was taking to “soften” the text of the final communique, which is expected to be issued by the conference participants later today.

The prime minister tells Kerry that the outgoing administration has already caused Israel damage by not vetoing UN Security Council Resolution 2334 last month, which criticized the settlements. No other resolution should be passed, Netanyahu says, neither in New York nor in Paris. Kerry promises Netanyahu that there will not be any followup action to the Paris conference and that Washington will oppose any further initiative at the Security Council.

— Raphael Ahren