Gaza Live: Kerry justifies Israel's military actions in Gaza on India visit

[IDemo]

Source: First Post

US secretary John Kerry told NDTV today that the he cannot judge if Israel's use of force in Gaza was excessive due to the factual inconsistency so far.

"I don't know if its [Israel's use of force] been excessive or not. 'Cause I don't know what happened. There are allegations of people firing their own rockets and accidentally hitting people and blaming it on the other side. There are allegations of people being deliberately put in harms way," he said in an interview with NDTV. "This is not the time for the United States to start making those judgments."

Kerry also denied that Israel had shelled the UN school in Gaza in which 15 including 4 children were killed. "Unfortunately Hamas has a record of also putting civilians in the harms way purposely as part of an effort. I don't know who did that and nor do you," he said.

Kerry referred to his own experience as a soldier during the Vietnam war. "Of course you don't bomb schools and you don't want children to be hurt. I've been to war. I know what happens when innocent civilians get killed. Its horrible. Absolutely horrible. And there is nobody in the world who hates the fact that innocent civilians are caught in this crossfire," he said.

Read more: http://www.firstpost.com/world/gaza-live-kerry-justifies-israels-military-actions-in-gaza-on-india-visit-1634051.html

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I'm sure that last line was a mis-quote or misprint.

[TwilightGardener]

1. His last sentence is a misspeak, obviously, but yeah...

he isn't going to go after Israel at this point in public, so soon after his rift with them on the ceasefire draft.

[cpwm17]

2. John Kerry: if you don't have the guts to stand up to Israel

then don't start peace initiatives with Israel. Because Israel will frequently lash out when the other side makes such offers. The Palestinians' new unity government just made a major offer and Israel struck back. This makes John Kerry entirely complicit in this atrocity..

[kelliekat44]

11. The unity government is the real reason for Israel' actions.

I am so disgusted by our governments refusal to do the honorable thing and criticize Israel for their atrocities in Gaza that I can hardly perform keystrokes.

I thought our inaction against Boko Haram were inexcusable and it made me sick. But this murder in Gaza without any sanctions against Israel tells the whole story of the moral bankruptcy of American policies when it comes to the ME. And we will all reap the what the seeds have sown in Gaza.

[It was not a pretzel]

3. " I don't know who did that and nor do you"

That is the exact wording Regev babykiller used in a BBC interview - looks like Kerry is back on-side.

[hatrack]

7. Try Twitter, Mr. Secretary . . .

Granted, you kind of have to sort the wheat from the chaff, but if you're looking to keep current with who's doing what to whom, it might be a decent starting point.

[ladjf]

4. There is NO honest justification for the Israeli actions of slaughter in Gaza.

There will be payback for their ruthlessness.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. The interview video being referenced

is here - http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/don-t-know-that-israel-bombed-a-school-john-kerry-to-ndtv-568619

to get full context.

[Comrade Grumpy]

6. How embarrassing. The poor man has to spout crap to appease Israel. And he does it.

[Billy Budd]

8. but of course with Ukraine it is accuse the Russians first

and the facts and the investigation later if at all.

[IronGate]

9. Glad to hear this from SOS Kerry. nt.

[KG]

10. John Kerry LOL n/t

[Roy Serohz]

12. Yeah

[lark]

13. Craven response

He knows damn well that Israel shelled the UN school for children in Gaza. Sickening how our military supply chain drives policy in that region.

[LoisB]

14. Guess he got the message.

[wisteria]

15. I wouldn't trust this source. It doesn't even read like Kerry's words. n/t

[wisteria]

16. The only thing Sec. Kerry is quoted as saying is,

"What we are trying to do is stop the violence, get the people to the table and negotiate the real solution that once and for all ends this violence going forward," said Mr Kerry, adding, "nobody is working harder than I" towards a ceasefire.


The same things he has been saying.

[mylye2222]

17. He does know who did it.

But Israel is so powerfull that he cant allow himself to go further up to Bibi publicly. ...

[blkmusclmachine]

18. No.