Headlines in the Israeli press on March 14, 2014:
Kerry: ‘Mistake’ to use Jewish state recognition as deal breaker – Ha’aretz
Kerry: Netanyahu wrong to insist Palestinians recognize Israel as Jewish state – The Jerusalem Post
You should tread more carefully, John Kerry.
You have already made quite a name for yourself, jetting in and out of Israel what, 11 times already, or is it 12? In any case more than any of your predecessors except perhaps for Henry, who set the trend?
In nearly 13 months as secretary of state, you have left none of us in any doubt about the depth of your resolve to secure a ‘peace’ agreement between Israel and the PLO.
You have positioned yourself smilingly next to Israel’s prime minister and foreign minister, justice minister and other ministers, before taking them “inside” and twisting their arms, employing both your carrots and your sticks
This is all fair and above board, of course, fitting your job description.
On top of that, you have spoken quite effusively at least once or twice about how special Israel is to you, and how solid are the ties that bind her to the United States. (O, how they do bind her!)
No one can doubt that you chose to make our little corner of the world (rather than South Sudan or North Korea or the Ukraine) your go-to spot – the place where you hope to enshrine your name.
But you know, John, there is a well-known adjective for someone big and powerful who, instead of standing up to other big and powerful (and nasty) people, prefers to direct his influence and pressure against a smaller, trusting friend.
We call it bullying.
You have crossed the line a few times in your ‘zeal’ – twice handing Israel’s enemies the excuse to ‘justifiably’ perpetrate acts of hostility and animosity towards us: once in November 2013, when you ‘asked’ Israel whether she “want[ed] another intifada,” and in January this year when you publicly warned Israel that her policies would lead to boycotts and sanctions against her.
But your latest two-step has earned you the label – on the lips of a friend reading the headlines this morning – ‘weasel.’
When affixed to a person, it means someone “deceitful or treacherous.”
Which is what your most recent behavior suggests. Until just a couple of weeks ago, you indicated yourself supportive of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s basic and reasonable demand, that the Arabs who have dedicated decades to killing the Jews and seeking to destroy their country (the PLO) must, if they truly wish to make peace with Israel, recognize her as a JEWISH state.
But then your dream of being ‘The One’ to oversee an end to the 100 plus year conflict seemed to be fading.
Either that, or the crisis in Crimea plucked the victor’s wreath from your head (and the Jewish state from the fire).
I am not sure whether you really believed yourself a more able secretary than all those men (plus Madeleine, Condoleezza and Hillary) who have gone before you, but if you did, this recent realization must have been a cold shower.
And it possibly explains why, just one day after acknowledging that, despite all your efforts, the gaps separating Israel and the PLO remain a gulf, you have now turned on Israel, unleashing this? No surprise really, you have the motive and the opportunity to commit the crime. I (think I) understand your frustration and perhaps even the fear of imminent failure.
But your sudden insistence, and slur, that Israel stop “using the issue of Jewish state recognition as a deal breaker” is disingenuous at best.
These are your reported words when you were asked to state the Obama administration’s official position on the issue:
“I think it’s a mistake for some people to be, you know, raising it again and again as the critical decider of their attitude towards the possibility of a state and peace, and we’ve obviously made that clear.”
By “some people” you mean the democratically elected leader of the State of Israel.
By “again and again” you mean that Netanyahu has remained consistent on this, yielding not a bit.
“Critical decider?” Is that what Ha’aretz (with its contacts in your State Department) translates a “deal breaker?” Or are you saying that Netanyahu is using this demand purposely to stymie your peace-making efforts?
That’s a pretty steep charge, if it’s what you are saying.
Let’s make believe it’s not, and that the lefties at Ha’aretz are twisting your words to suit their own anti-Zionist agenda.
According to them, you added that the whole issue of the Jewishness of the State of Israel “was resolved in 1947, referring to UN Resolution 181 that divided Palestine into two states, one for Jews and one for Arabs,” and you reminded your audience “of former PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat’s recognition of Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state in 1988.”
Now just a minute. As even Ha’aretz wrote in today’s report, you “adopted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s demand that Israel be recognised as a Jewish state back in December during a visit to Israel, and later turned to the Saudis and Jordan asking them to support Palestinian recognition.
Yet your statement today comes a week after Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas made it clear there was “no way” he would recognize Israel as a Jewish state, a statement subsequently ratified by the Arab League.
According to the same report, your spokeswoman Jen Psaki shifted the goals to line up with the PA’s position when she then said “the US considers Israel as a Jewish state, but doesn’t require the Palestinians to do so.”
Again, you effort to wriggle out of something you got into is understandable if deplorable.
But IF, as you now choose to hold, recognizing the Jewish state is not a big deal; IF it was de facto recognized in UN Resolution 181, and IF Arafat already recognized it –
Then WHY does Abbas absolutely refuse to say he recognizes it too?
Surely he isn’t trying to be more Yasser than Arafat?
Mr Kerry, you are certainly leaving a mark as Secretary of State in the second Obama administration. Look at the pattern:
Iran does not want to lose face, so you (and your colleagues among the Powers) let it be known that you will let them carry on bragging about how they are going to continue enrichment, and that you will be quiet while they verbally threaten Israel’s destruction, because you don’t want to hurt their pride.
For after all, “everyone knows” that when it comes to the Muslims of the Middle East, it is all about pride. They can’t help themselves.
And I guess it’s the same approach you are employing with Abbas. The terrorist-in-a-tie got up in a tree when he said he would “never” recognize the JEWISH state, and you don’t want to hurt his pride, because that would weaken him in the face of his own people and increase the risk of someone worse (like the Hamas) taking full control over the ‘Palestinian population’ – so you will support him and pander to him and not insist that he recognize the JEWISH state because, chas ve chalila (God forbid) you don’t want to have to contend with a worse devil than this one.
As a footnote, I think it is interesting that the famous Ha’aretz columnist Ari Shavit wrote, on the 20th of last month, about how Arafat implicitly DID recognise the need for Israel to preserve its Jewishness half a year before he died.
Commented this prominent and anything but right-wing Israeli:
Huge pressure is now being exerted day and night on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a border he abominates. In parallel, huge pressure must be applied to PA President Mahmoud Abbas to grant the recognition he refuses to grant.
Therefore, Arafat’s precedent-setting statement is exceptionally important right now.
What Arafat permitted, Abbas cannot forbid. The current Palestinian Authority president must say explicitly what his predecessor said implicitly.
Peace? There won’t be any peace if Abbas doesn’t follow in Arafat’s footsteps and say that Israel is a Jewish state whose Jewish character must be preserved.
Over the past several months, John Kerry has succeeded in doing the impossible. The ambitious US secretary of state demonstrated leadership, determination, creativity and an exceptional spirit of sticking to the mission. Via a unique combination of sticks, carrots and emotional intelligence, he has brought the Israeli prime minister to places no one would have believed it was possible to bring him.
But in order to achieve peace, that same unique combination of sticks, carrots and emotional intelligence must be applied to the Palestinian Authority president.
This very day, in Paris, he must be presented [by Kerry] with Arafat’s statement to Ha’aretz and be compelled to adopt it.” (The Arafat precedent – Ha’aretz, February 20, 2014)
It’s very likely that you, Mr Secretary, would have been informed of Shavit’s words (he is that influential here).
So did you bring pressure to bear on Abbas, pressure that he, unlike Netanyahu (as it is asserted) was able to withstand?
Is this why you have now taken the heat off the Arab, and directed it back on the Jew?
Seems as though they have not a clue who they are messing with!!! How could they not know?????
Kerry/Barry/Hilarious are nationalist! The agenda is to bring the ussa (nw order non-compliant) down at all cost! Sadly, the world has throw Israel under the bus! The Lord & us Christian’s seem to be Her best friend. The Lord Will prove again & again He’ll go to battle for Her up to the Great Wine Press!
For some reason, getting this great informative article to ‘all that may be concerned’ seems futile!
Seems like all the zit’s in the world are popping at the same time! I’d feel better if I, family & friends were in Israel, least we know He’ll divinely protect those He preordained! Either way, it will be ugly for all who dwell on this earth during Daniel’s week!
shalom
shalom
Great article. Right to the point. Hope Kerry and Obama get to see it. I don’t believe they will change anything.
Oh absolutely Brigitte! I put no restrictions on the circulation of anything I write here – only asking that the site (URL) by included in order to further widen the distribution.
B R A V O Stan!
Your ‘open letter’ to the Weasel needs to be delivered into his inbox – and while at it, also into the mail boxes of major American newspapers.
Stan, would you give me – and any equally incensed American who subscribes to your pages – the permission to do so, please?
If it weren’t so sad, it would be downright comical to compare the statements Kerry and Obama made about PLO not needing to recognize Israel, and the statements just made yesterday condemning Russia for ripping apart the state of Ukraine. I thought I would fall out off my couch laughing when he said “Russia is violating the constitution”. EXCUSE ME? Someone tell me why we (US) doing the same thing to Israel is OK?
The proverbial case of the “pot calling the kettle black”. Kerry is bent on making a name for himself, and probably aiming for the Nobel prize (like it’s worth anything anyway), and O detests Israel and Netanyahu, just like any loyal muslim does. This leopard is NOT going to change his spots, and Kerry is his lap dog.
Stand strong against this adm., and we are with you – 100%. God bless Israel, and we pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Stan, I truly hope this reaches Kerry. All his flying around is worthless, and to think of the money we, (the U.S.) spends on this Obama reliant,is horendous. The people of the U.S.
can see right through this fake, as we can see through the entire administration. we’re with you friend.
Dear Stan.
Congrats once again on another great piece of work.
As a South african I can see where this is going and calling Israel “Apartheid” not going down well with me. I say amen to the comment quote from Zechariah 12. Keep on the good work brother. HaShem be with you.
I love the addition of math before I make my comment. Stan you are such a refreshing breeze from the ocean. Solid assessment of the present ongoing middle east saga. I appreciate your updates and pray for you and your family. May God’s blessed Spirit continue to fill you with wisdom.
Thank you for your support, Stan, and to your correspondents too.
One point you all forgot, as does Natanyahu: Israel absorbed hundreds
of thousands of Jews from Arab countries. They were thrown out brutally
and penniless from a region they had lived in some thousand years before
the rise of Islam. Perhaps Mr. Kerry and his boss in the White House would
like to make them and their children homeless again!? Do Moslem Arabs
never have to show a modicum of humanity or pay for their crimes?
Very true words, great insight, and much wisdom in your article Stan! I pray for SOS Kerry and for President Obama, that they will have their eyes opened. I pray they will stop allowing themselves to be held hostage to the Arabic states and their oil. Our country would benefit from a leader much like former president Harry Truman – one who will stand up for what is right despite the threats and pressures against him. I also pray that PM Netanyahu will continue to stand and not waiver and not be intimidated. He knows that to back down would be taken to mean he agrees with Abbas’ push for “right of return” for every PA family who had someone living in Israel in 1948. (They could have come back long ago). To agree to giving the right of return to PA would mean forcing Jewish people from their homes and businesses in Jerusalem, Yesha, and all of Israel. All it would take is for a PA member to say “this is where my family lived in 1948 – and the family living there would have to move out. I pray for Bibi to remain strong! May the Lord Bless Israel greatly!
Well done!! The disingenuous, inconsistent statements and puppeteering is becoming so dangerous. We are rapidly weakening by this Administration’s occupation, his representatives may represent him, but not alot of us.
Israel, every inch of it belongs to the Jewish people. That’s God’s declaration and promise. That’s it. Period.
Dear secretary of state and honorable President of the US,
it is an extremely dangereous path you are taking,
trying to force Mr Netanjahu to conceede and agree to
have the land God has entrusted to the people of Israel
to be further divided. Deep down you do know that it is wrong
and you are really fighting against what is God-ordained.
If I understand my Bible right, there will be not peace agreement for Israel until the first part of the tribulation and then it does not last long…don’t these people in the White House read their Bibles and understand this…Do we have any Christians in the white house at all or are they all burring their heads in the sand…
On May 14 1948, in front of the world a document was signed, sealed and delivered officially declaring and making ” A State of Israel”. The question is, why won’t the Palestinians accept the fact that and abide by it’s government rules?
Kerry is evil to the extreme, so is the whole O administration. We can only pray God will change their hearts, even if we do not like them. Only God can change the heart. This administration is NO friend of Israel. I am so sorry to say that.
Very well written,
An excelent description of the situation Stan I love it “Weasle of State!” it reminds me of watching television shows as a child where similar situations occurred, where thugs came into local business acting as thier best friends and promising “Protection” then taking all the money in the cash register, until finally the business can not longer stand the presure and sells out entirely to the Mob, Mafia, family… Seems that organized crime mentality has taken over the United States Government .
We here in the USA feel we are being bullied also. After all we are being forced, against our will, to pay for Insurance to the Obama administration or suffer the consequences. Possibly Jail time?
Kerry is like a dripping of water on Isreal. One drop does not effect much but a constant and continual drip soon becomes unbearable against the strongest stone. I am praying for continued resolve. Don’t give in Netanyahu we are praying for your resolve and for the Peace of Jerusalem.
Dear Stan……. You continue to amaze me with your increidble insight and understanding of the Jewish “situation”. Being a lover of Israel, as you yourself, I appreciate the effort you put into getting out the truth of what is really going on behind the thinly veiled attempt of our US Government to take Israel to it’s knees! Thank God for the many Believing Christians who will never turn our backs on God’s People or their Land! May YHWH keep His blessings upon you. Continue on ….. with HIs power and our prayers.
A good Article. You forgot to mention his backing of the Marmara mission, but that is history…
What does the owner of the land and people of Israel say to all of this wrangling over His property? Through the prophet of Joel HE promises judgment on those who divide His land.
So I would council Secretary and President to quit your efforts to that end and avoid the wrath of the Allmighty.
Hi Stan,
Thanks again for a classic. My only frustration is how is it possible to get this moment of truth straight into John Kerry’s psyche?
But I did get inspired with a bit of a parody from bygone years:
Kerry had a little Sham, his hair was white as snow.
But everywhere that Kerry went, the Sham was loathe to go.
Yet they both bumped into Truth one day–a most uneasy place,
Where Kerry and his snow white Sham, both ended in disgrace!
Victor Schlatter
” Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it…
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. ” Zechariah 12:
WOW Stan…..this is great! This should be posted on Kerry’s FB/twitter page. Don’t all these guys utilize social media? Just perhaps he will see your charge to him.