John Kerry Plays Down Mideast War of Words
Image by getty images
Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday brushed off Israeli criticism of his Middle East peace efforts, saying he has been “attacked” with bullets in the past and would not be intimidated by words.
On Sunday, Israeli’s minister for strategic affairs accused Kerry of holding a gun to Israel’s head by speaking of “an increasing de-legitimization” campaign against Israel. In January, Israel’s defense minister was quoted scorning his quest for Israeli-Palestinian peace as “messianic” and obsessive.
A parody video, reported by Israeli media to be the work of a pro-settler group, ridicules Kerry and shows an actor portraying him describing Jerusalem as “holy to all religions: Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Klingons and Hobbits.”
Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper, Kerry appeared to allude to his military service during the Vietnam War as he played down the criticism.
“I’ve been, quote, ‘attacked’ before by people using real bullets, not words. And I am not going to be intimidated,” Kerry told CNN according to a transcript released by the broadcaster.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the criticism of Kerry was aimed at the possibility of a peace agreement, the outlines of which the United States hopes to achieve by April.
“The words aren’t an attack on him. They’re actually an attack on the peace process itself,” she said. “His view is that some of this is a sign that the heat is on and we’re getting down to the difficult issues.”
The major issues in the conflict include borders, security, the fate of Palestinian refugees and the status of Jerusalem.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
