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Seriously, What Is John Kerry Doing?
The Federalist ^ | July 29, 2014 | David Harsanyi

Posted on 07/29/2014 4:55:02 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

Let’s concede for a moment that most of us don’t believe the United States should be taking sides in conflicts abroad. Even so, most Americans would probably agree that at a minimum our diplomatic efforts should not cause unnecessary harm. Which brings me to Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent misadventure in the Middle East.

It seems like a rather big deal that Egypt, Israel, Fatah, Jordan, Saudi Arabia—ostensibly, all allies of ours—agree on anything. This development, one imagines, might be something the United States would be interested in fostering rather than destroying. Certainly, the idea that Hamas’ power should be neutralized and the influence of the “moderate” Palestinian authority expanded, sounds like a plan worth pursuing.

Or so you would think. But instead, it looks like Kerry ignored an Egyptian-led ceasefire effort and handed Israelis a document that offered them this:

•Rather than empowering Fatah, it recognizes Hamas as the legitimate authority in the Gaza Strip, although it’s considered a terrorist organization by the Justice Department and an entity that’s founding principle and driving purpose is to eliminate Israel and replace it with an Islamic state.
•Rather than choking off this organization’s lifeline, the agreement would have allowed them to collect billions in ‘charity’ that would be been able to use to rearm, retrench, and re-engage in hostilities.
•And all the while, it would have made no demands on Hamas to purge itself of rockets, or tunnels, or other weaponry that destabilizes the area—while at the same, the ceasefire would have limited Israel’s ability to take them out. (Update: This final point is disputed by U.S. officials.)

Hamas would have conceded nothing. No nation would have accepted such terms, not after what’s transpired, and naturally it was rejected unanimously by an Israeli cabinet that includes the ideological left, center, and right. Not only did the proposal irritate Israel—a nation often accused of warmongering for kicks—but it also upset Egypt and the Palestinian Authority.

All of which, one presumes, a seasoned statesman like Kerry should have foreseen. So why did Kerry offer a proposal driven by Qatar and Turkey, two of Hamas’ allies and Israel’s antagonists? Qatar not only funds one of the leading anti-Israel propaganda outfits on the planet, Al Jazeera, but it is also, according to Shimon Peres—hardly a warmongering Likudnik—the “world’s largest funder of terror due to its financial support for Hamas in Gaza.” And Turkey, which often sounds like some well-known Progressive Twitter accounts, recently accused the Jews of committing genocide, called Israel a “terror state,” and compared Netanyahu to Hitler.

Though we’ve often pressured Israel to shorten these kinds of operations, only a historian would be able to come up with an instances of the United States pressuring Israel to accept such a lousy agreement. So naturally, the Israeli press, including left-wing newspapers like Haaretz, went after Kerry pretty hard. The United States, according to reports, believes that Israeli officials had misrepresented the deal. And the Obama administration pushed back yesterday. “It’s simply not the way partners and allies treat each other,” said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki, who seems to think Israel has a state-controlled media.

But, according to nearly every news report, Kerry was the one who brought Turkey and Qatar into the mix. And it is undeniable that Kerry went to Paris immediately after negotiations collapsed and met with officials from Turkey and Qatar to discuss a potential cease-fire in the Gaza. Kerry did not meet with Egypt, nor the Palestinian Authority, nor Israel. That seems odd—inexplicable, even—but it certainly lends credence to Israeli media accounts.

David Ignatius at the Washington Post argues that “Kerry’s mistake isn’t any bias against Israel but rather a bias in favor of an executable, short-term deal.” But it’s conceivable that both of those factors played a part. As a political consideration, the administration would have benefitted from a short-term deal. Perhaps because of tragic loss of life, the United States would rather see a ceasefire than Hamas dealt a mortal blow. And that is almost certainly one of the reasons Hamas uses Palestinians as human shields.

It is worth remembering that Kerry, who is rightly considered a longtime ally of Israel, has changed his tone considerably since joining the administration. He’s accused Israel of being a few short steps removed from “apartheid,” he peddled the myth of Israel’s imminent demographic demise, and he was conveniently caught on a hot mic sarcastically dismissing Israel’s pinpoint strikes, and insinuating that he, John Kerry, was not invited to embark on a ceasefire talks because Israel was buying time to finish off Hamas. (If that’s Israel’s goal, they should have invited Kerry earlier.)

But maybe the United States doesn’t want to take sides anymore. Maybe the Obama administration’s recent dealings in the Middle East reflect this attitude. Maybe Kerry’s actions weren’t a mistake but an attempt to show Israel’s enemies that we can be even-handed. Because we either have an incompetent Secretary of State or a momentous shift in Middle East policy. Either way, Kerry’s actions have created a bigger mess.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Government; Israel; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: bhomiddleeast; bhostatedept; egypt; fatah; gaza; hamas; israel; johnkerry; johnwhowasinnamkerry; jordan; kerry; middleeast; obama; palestine; palestinianauthority; palestinians; plo; saudiarabia; soskerry; turkey
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Kerry was a strong supporter of Israel, now he is undermining Israel at every turn.

Another liberal with no core values, no moral compass and no spine.


21 posted on 07/29/2014 5:26:05 PM PDT by Erik Latranyi
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I think someone nailed one foot to the floor - explains why he’s going in circles ...


22 posted on 07/29/2014 5:26:38 PM PDT by SkyDancer (If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper you are misinformed)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

What is the term they used to describe Israel having or using more powerful forces than Hamas?

These politicians need to understand that the best way to being a real peace is for one side to win


23 posted on 07/29/2014 5:31:20 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Kerry serves at the pleasure of the President.

It pleasures Barry to see the wreckage.


24 posted on 07/29/2014 5:31:28 PM PDT by COUNTrecount (There's no there there.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

No THAT’S someone who needs to go play more golf. (Kerry)


25 posted on 07/29/2014 5:31:36 PM PDT by RIghtwardHo
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Boy she looks like some kind of lizard.

She should be standing in a corn field scaring away crows.


26 posted on 07/29/2014 5:37:27 PM PDT by chiefqc
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To: GSWarrior

“I’m John Kerry and I’m reporting for duty.”

Yeah. And I just let my dog to do his “duty.”


27 posted on 07/29/2014 5:39:33 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ( Ya can't pick up a turd by the clean end!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
One thumb here, one thumb there, when King Barry blows the whistle Kerry swaps thumbs.

Where "here" and "there" are is left to the imagination of the reader.

28 posted on 07/29/2014 5:41:38 PM PDT by Rashputin (Jesus Christ doesn't evacuate His troops, He leads them to victory.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

just trying to kill some time away from teresa, i’d guess.


29 posted on 07/29/2014 5:41:41 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man ( Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: RIghtwardHo

30 posted on 07/29/2014 5:44:47 PM PDT by The Duke ("Forgiveness is between them and God, it's my job to arrange the meeting.")
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Seriously, What Is John Kerry Doing?

Helping to SABOTAGE America's foreign policy, what else? Name ONE instance in the past 5 years when team 0bama's foreign policy has worked in favor of America's BEST INTEREST?

31 posted on 07/29/2014 5:45:20 PM PDT by CivilWarBrewing
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
 photo inbredjk_zpsde6fa600.jpg
32 posted on 07/29/2014 5:52:37 PM PDT by SWAMPSNIPER (The Second Amendment, a Matter of Fact, Not a Matter of Opinion)
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To: SWAMPSNIPER

Who’s that strange looking guy in the middle?


33 posted on 07/29/2014 5:55:20 PM PDT by nascarnation (Toxic Baraq Syndrome: hopefully infecting a Dem candidate near you)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

No one - NO ONE - is that stupid. Not our queer pResident and not old horse-face. No, this is by design. It is VERY purposeful.

May Heaven have mercy on this country, because if we experience justice then we’re screwed.


34 posted on 07/29/2014 5:56:02 PM PDT by Ancesthntr ("The right to buy weapons is the right to be free." A. E. van Vogt)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

In our all inclusive cabinet, Kerry is the special needs secretary. (With my apologies to all people of special needs.) You can’t take him serious, but neither can you tell him to f -off, like you want to.


35 posted on 07/29/2014 5:57:41 PM PDT by The Public Eye
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Whatever the homosexual Mulsoid in the White Hut tells him to do.


36 posted on 07/29/2014 7:51:26 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("The man who damns money obtained it dishonorably; the man who respects it earned it." --Ayn Rand)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If he’d betray his own country over the Vietnam war, why is it so surprising he’d betray Israel?


Agree. A caller on Hannity’s show, today, said something similar...that Kerry has NO business holding ANY government position.


37 posted on 07/29/2014 7:55:04 PM PDT by Jane Long ("And when thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek")
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Kerry and Obama work for Hamas, they prove it every day.


38 posted on 07/29/2014 8:17:47 PM PDT by jyro (French-like Democrats wave the white flag of surrender while we are winning)
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