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.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
