US Diplomat: Israeli Attacks On John Kerry ‘Offensive And Absurd’

[Purveyor]

Israeli attacks against US Secretary of State John Kerry accusing him being of a supporter of Islamic militants are “offensive and absurd,” a senior US diplomat said Wednesday.

In a sharp exchange with reporters, deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf hit out against a torrent of abuse from “respected voices in Israel talking about the secretary of state, claiming that he supports Hamas, which is offensive and absurd.”

The United States had been giving Israel “a level of support which has been quite frankly unprecedented in our history, even when we stood alone,” she added.

After last week’s failed bid to mediate a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Kerry has been pilloried in the Israeli press for submitting a plan on Friday to the Israeli government, which the security cabinet unanimously rejected.

“He’s a friend of Israel, but with friends like these, sometimes it’s better to negotiate with your enemies,” said Nahum Barnea, writing in the top-selling Yediot Aharonot.

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http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/07/30/us-diplomat-israeli-attacks-on-john-kerry-offensive-and-absurd/

[Wellstone ruled]

1. When Kerry was picked

as Secretary,the media whores started this campaign against him. The Rethugs and the Washington Pundtocracy really dislikes this guy. Notice thru the years how it is Kerry the leftwing liberal or the socialist left winger. Bottom line,this guy was one of the few who called out the Military Industrial Complex in the Nam days. He has been the guy on the wanted poster of hawk. This includes AIPAC. My question is,why is Senator Warren backing these people. Duh!

[mylye2222]

6. Kerry will forever pay that heavy prices

Of having a conscience and showing it up. The pundocracy doesnt accept the fact that he can act with sensitivity and compztion. That he is not a all cold and calculator diplomat. That he is a Mensh.

[sabrina 1]

8. Shameful, and even MORE shameful is that his own Party voted essentially voted FOR those Right

Wing Goons, further endorsing exactly what he and every person of conscience, is trying to stop, the murder of innocents.

So he's a 'terrorist supporter', well that is always the last resort of Right Wing scoundrels. Kerry can join the club, most of us take it as a compliment, considering the sources.

It never pays to appease bullies, you just can't DO enough to make them happy. I would think anyone who cares anything about this country would have learned that lesson by now.

I expect our Party Leadership to initiate a vote of confidence for the SOS. They sure were in a hurry to do so for the Right Wing morons who are attacking him.

[mylye2222]

9. Thanks for putting

In (proper English words lol) my thoughs.

Thats why its time for DU to forget for a time any animnositis and stand with him.

[4now]

2. Israel is going crazy and attacking everyone they can think of.

[Comrade Grumpy]

3. What about Israel's attacks on Palestinian civilians, Ms. Diplomat?

[alsame]

4. At this point, it's easier

to keep track of those who Israel does not accuse of being Hamas supporters.

[MisterP]

7. like the Birchers saying all politicians, media, schools, churches, and soldiers were Russkie tools

including Reagan

[Fozzledick]

5. Face it, Kerry screwed up by pandering to Hamas' supporters.

If there were any chance of an actual negotiated cease fire this would have thrown a big monkey wrench into the works.

[karynnj]

10. He pandered to nobody - which is why Netanyahu, who expected him to pander to him was angry

From what I have read, limited by being on vacation in a country where I don't speak the language, what seems clear is that Israel itself can not negotigate directly for a cease fire as they don't talk to Hamas. They have negotiated in the past with Abbas, but then some Israeli leaders complain that he does not represent all the Palestinians.

This leads to the need for "someone else" to negotiate -- but they can't speak to Hamas either! Egypt's current government is NOT is not on speaking terms with Hamas. They and Blair tried for a simple ceasefire - and it failed too. Israel had no problem with that -- because Hamas rejecting it and they saying they were open to accepting it, gave them the high road.

This AFTER they ignored their own intelligence that the men who killed the 3 teens were likely acting on their own. They used this as an excuse to arrest 400 Palestinians with Hamas ties in the West Bank. Not to mention, Gaza has been hurt far worse by the ongoing war.

Kerry went to Egypt only after around 1000 Palestinians were killed - including many children. Kerry has worked on this overall issue intensely since he became SoS. It is ridiculous that one thing that angered Israel is that he spoke to Turkey and Qatar - two countries that have diplomatic links to Hamas. Talking to both sides - at least indirectly is needed to get an agreement. It also ignores that Turkey has often been one of the few Arab states that have worked with Israel - though their relationship has cooled a lot in the last 5 or so years.

As to "throwing a monkey wrench" - that assumes there was a process with some chance of succeeding -- which there was not. That was WHY Kerry went there. If Israel was capable of resolving the issue - they could have done so.

[YvonneCa]

11. Hope you are...

...having a great vacation, karynnj.