Kerry: I won't be intimidated by Israeli attacks against me

[Jesus Malverde]

Source: Haaretz

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry responded decisively on Wednesday to dissmissive comments made by top Israeli officials regarding his attempts to push forward the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

"I'm not going to be intimidated and back down," the U.S. senator in an interview to CNN. "I’ve been attacked before by people using real bullets, not words... No one should distort what we are saying because they are opposed to the peace process."

Kerry was responding to a barrage of attacks issued by top Israeli officials - among them Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and Economy minister Naftali Bennett, who have in recent days painted his Mideast mission as messianic and obsessive.

Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.572705

[Jesus Malverde]

1. Interview on CNN with Jake Tapper

[blm]

2. Bibi's Boyz there and here (Gingrich, et al) have honed the art of the dishonest attack and

use it to intimidate Bibi's critics. The US media has helped them carry out the attacks for the last 3 decades.

[okaawhatever]

3. Good for you Secretary Kerry !! Don't give into the neo-cons, foreign or domestic.. nt

[another_liberal]

4. He didn't run from bullets in the Mekong Delta . . .

I doubt if he will choose to run from this over-funded crowd of apartheid-loving neo-fascists either.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

5. If the Israelis want to intimidate the SoS then perhaps we should cut of Israel.

No money. No support.

Those kinds of incentives always bring a point home.

[another_liberal]

7. Just quit letting them use our UNSC veto to cover their criminal actions.

Believe me, that will change their tune in a goddamned hurry!

[notemason]

6. Penned this song thirty years ago; still works

Israel, Lead Us to the Promised Land

Fiery chariots, speed of light, burn west of the moon thru eternal night
Man is trying with all his might but he just can’t find it alone
Not the Kingdom or the Golden Throne

Nature’s mysteries freed from the cage
Science has opened the Great Space Age
Knowledge exploding yet the people rage
We just can’t find it alone
Not the Kingdom or the Golden Throne

Come on Israel lead us to the Promised Land
The Holy Covenant lies in your hand
The world is burning for Jerusalem to set out spirits free
To unlock the Holy Seed

Come on Israel lead us to the Promised Land
Turn swords of hate into love of man
The answers are buried in your burning sand
Set our spirits free, fulfill your destiny

Doctors healing trying to yield more years
One scourge falls yet another appears
As the cycle of anger and hatred and fears
Continues its spiritual toll, untouched by the Dead Sea Scrolls

We can’t seem to learn from the Son of Man
Who healed with a touch of love in his hand
Who cleansed the spirit to cure the man
The answer lies in the soul, heal the heart and man becomes whole

Come on Israel lead us to the Promised Land
How long must we live in the shadow of man
Who walks in darkness when the master plan
Says turn to the light of the lamb
You must turn to the light of the lamb

Come on Israel, we’re tired and we’re hungry and poor
We’re tired of living with the gospels of war
We’re hungry for the Shepherd make us wait no more
Seal the Master Plan, lead us on to the Promised Land

Come on Israel lead us to the Promised Land
The Holy Covenant lies in your hand
The world is burning for Jerusalem to set out spirits free
To unlock the Holy Seed

[another_liberal]

9. Come on Israel . . .

Oh the hell with it. I never could count stressed and unstressed syllables.

[Demenace]

11. This is just about how indifferent these Israelis are to the Palestinians, why would you think...

... they would not do the same to the United states.

[another_liberal]

18. Maybe . . .

They already have.

[madokie]

8. Right on Bro'

Being shot at with real bullets does something to a persons resolve.

[Cha]

10. Thank you, SOS Kerry!

[Demenace]

12. If these attacks were coming from some government official in Syria or Iran...

... there would have been talk of going to war! Why is this okay coming from a nation that benefits financially and militarily from the country John Kerry is the Secretary of State of?

[sulphurdunn]

13. A well financed lobby?

[Demenace]

15. But it is the Muslim Brotherhood infiltrating the government of the United states, right?

Why do we allow this to happen while we are told daily, we should be fighting against an imaginary Muslim Brotherhood that is taking over the government of the United states. This brings to mind an image of a guy actually walking out of your house with your wide screen television while telling you, you should be vigilant about some thief coming to get the same wide screen television, he is walking out with at the moment!

How did Americans let this happen?

[sulphurdunn]

19. This kind of intoxication

requires swallowing a lot of a brew concocted from money, politics and religion.

[JDPriestly]

14. I like this Kerry quote:

What is important is to look at the positive side of this which is that the majority of people in Israel and Palestine believe in peace."

Kerry reiterated his support of Israel, saying Israelis should know that the U.S. "will always stand by Israel's security needs."

"I have a 100% voting record in supporting Israel for the past 29 years in Senate," said Kerry.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.572705

Israelis and probably Palestinians too are understandably nervous about negotiating the end of a conflict that has lasted over 60 years.

I am so pleased that Kerry is taking on the difficult task of trying to broker peace between Palestine and Israel, two very reluctant negotiating opponents. His is a difficult, maybe impossible job. But the price of his failure could be devastating for all people in the Middle East. We should all be supporting Kerry's efforts to bring peace in every way we can.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

16. Israel needs a decent government not a right wing junta

There are plenty of other political parties in Israel that have serious peace policies unlike the 'Fox News' party that governs Israel.

[Tom Ripley]

20. +1000

[BootinUp]

17. I hope his security budget is healthy. nt

[Tom Ripley]

21. Give 'em hell, John