Kerry ceasefire proposal “was everything Hamas could have hoped for” (Updates)
“It’s as if he isn’t the foreign minister of the world’s most powerful nation, but an alien, who just disembarked his spaceship in the Mideast.”
When I heard parts of John Kerry’s news conference today, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He was talking as if he’s trying to create a way to bolster Hamas when the fighting is over.
Sure enough, Barak Ravid, a well-regarded reporter for the left-wing Israeli Haaretz newspaper presents a chilling tale of John Kerry’s complete incompetence in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations, Kerry’s latest cease-fire plan: What was he thinking?
The draft Kerry passed to Israel on Friday shocked the cabinet ministers not only because it was the opposite of what Kerry told them less than 24 hours earlier, but mostly because it might as well have been penned by Khaled Meshal [the political head of Hamas who lives in Qatar]. It was everything Hamas could have hoped for.
The document recognized Hamas’ position in the Gaza Strip, promised the organization billions in donation funds and demanded no dismantling of rockets, tunnels or other heavy weaponry at Hamas’ disposal. The document placed Israel and Hamas on the same level, as if the first is not a primary U.S. ally and as if the second isn’t a terror group which overtook part of the Palestinian Authority in a military coup and fired thousands of rockets at Israel.
It gets worse, as I suspected Kerry is seeking to make Hamas a post-war power, Ravid reports:
On Saturday, the State Department distributed photos of Kerry’s meeting with Qatar and Turkey’s foreign ministers in Paris. [See video above] The three appear jovial and happy-go-lucky. Other photographs show Kerry carousing romantically with the Turkish foreign minister in the pastoral grounds of the U.S. ambassador’s home in Paris, as if the Turkish official’s prime minister didn’t just say a few days ago that Israel is 10 times worse than Hitler.
The secretary of state’s draft empowered the most radical and problematic elements in the region – Qatar, Turkey, and Hamas – and was a slap on the face to the rapidly forming camp of Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, who have many shared interests. What Kerry’s draft spells for the internal Palestinian political arena is even direr: It crowns Hamas and issues Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas with a death warrant.
This is consistent with reporting from The Times of Israel’s Avi Issacharoff, another well-regarded reporter, ‘Kerry told Hamas many of its demands would be met under ceasefire deal’:
US Secretary of State John Kerry informed Hamas via Qatar last week that under his proposal for a ceasefire with Israel, based on the original Egyptian initiative, the US would guarantee the fulfillment of many of Hamas’s demands for an end to the war, Palestinian sources told The Times of Israel on Saturday…
The guarantees promised to Hamas by Kerry under a ceasefire, as relayed to The Times of Israel by the Palestinian sources, pertain to the following issues: an easing of restrictions on the passage of goods from Israel to Gaza; an easing of restrictions on the passage of traders and businessmen from Gaza to Israel; expansion of the permitted Gaza fishing zone to 12 miles off the coast; the opening of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, to be manned by Palestinian Authority officials; and a promise to ensure the transfer of salaries to Gaza’s government employees.
Kerry made no promises on the issue of the Hamas demand for the release of prisoners, other than a pledge to discuss the matter. There was also no mention of the establishment of a seaport in Gaza, as demanded by Hamas.
There is something dangerously incompetent about Kerry. He is seeking to bolster Hamas, while bringing the lunatic Turkish leadership — which hates Israel with a passion — into the fold.
Ravid at Haaretz notes that Kerry seems delusional (emphasis added):
Kerry isn’t anti-Israeli; on the contrary, he’s a true friend to Israel. But his conduct in recent days over the Gaza cease-fire raises serious doubts over his judgment and perception of regional events. It’s as if he isn’t the foreign minister of the world’s most powerful nation, but an alien, who just disembarked his spaceship in the Mideast.
Seems like a fair, maybe too kind, assessment.
Are the Israelis and Palestinian Authority leaking to reporters? Sure. But it makes complete sense in light of Kerry’s public actions and pronouncements.
Meanwhile, Hamas is seeking North Korean help to rearm quickly, according to The Telegraph, Hamas and North Korea in secret arms deal:
Hamas militants are attempting to negotiate a new arms deal with North Korea for missiles and communications equipment that will allow them to maintain their offensive against Israel, according to Western security sources.
Security officials say the deal between Hamas and North Korea is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and is being handled by a Lebanese-based trading company with close ties to the militant Palestinian organisation based in east Beirut.
Hamas officials are believed to have already made an initial cash down payment to secure the deal, and are now hoping that North Korea will soon begin shipping extra supplies of weapons to Gaza.“Hamas is looking for ways to replenish its stocks of missiles because of the large numbers it has fired at Israel in recent weeks,” explained a security official. “North Korea is an obvious place to seek supplies because Pyongyang already has close ties with a number of militant Islamist groups in the Middle East.”
By not only saving, but empowering Hamas, Kerry’s delusion is dangerous.
Updates: The Editor-in-Chief of The Times of Israel, John Kerry: The betrayal:
The secretary’s proposal managed to unite Israel’s disparate group of key political leaders — from Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman on the right, through Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to Yair Lapid and Tzipi Livni on the center-left — in a unanimous response of horrified rejection and leaked castigation….
Leaked comments from unnamed senior government sources to Army Radio, Channel 2 and other Hebrew outlets have described the secretary as amateurish, incompetent, incapable of understanding the material he is dealing with — in short, a blithering fool.
But actually, it’s worse than that. What emerges from Kerry’s self-initiated ceasefire mission — Israel had already accepted the Egyptian ceasefire proposal; and nobody asked him to come out on a trip he prefaced with sneering remarks about Israel’s attempted “pinpoint” strikes on Hamas terror targets — is that Jerusalem now regards him as duplicitous and dangerous….
Whether through ineptitude, malice, or both, Kerry’s intervention was not a case of America’s top diplomat coming to our region to help ensure, through astute negotiation, the protection of a key ally. This was a betrayal.
The Palestinian Authority is fuming also, Abbas fumes at Kerry over alternative ceasefire bid:
Palestinian sources told the London-based A-Sharq Al-Awsat that Kerry had initially agreed to an Egyptian proposal for an immediate ceasefire followed by five days of negotiations between Israel and the PA, with American assurances to address some of Hamas’s demands. But on Friday evening Kerry produced a new plan based on consultations with Qatar and Turkey and conducted between “the State of Israel” and “the Palestinian factions,” excluding the PA. The Israeli cabinet unanimously rejected Kerry’s plan.
More, the proof is in, Leaked document confirms US ceasefire bid generous to Hamas:
A “confidential draft” of the American ceasefire proposal leaked to the press appears to confirm what The Times of Israel reported Friday — that Washington was willing to generously accede to many of Hamas’s demands, while all but ignoring Israel’s security requirements.
The published text of the proposal, obtained by Haaretz, also shows that Qatar and Turkey – Hamas’s main sponsors in the region — were given prominent roles in the mediation, while the Palestinian Authority and Egypt were entirely marginalized.
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Comments
I seem to recall this man being involved in similar one-sided “negotiations” in Paris before. About 1970, if I remember correctly…
The idiocy of this man is astounding.
Israel will not be getting any kind of support from the US. The best thing that could happen for everyone – including the Palestinian civilians – would be for Israel to pound Hamas until it’s gone.
Hanoi John strikes again! This incompetent boob and admitted war criminal is an embarrassment to this country and a danger to the world. He should go home and have some ketchup.
“Ravid at Haaretz notes that Kerry seems delusional.”
No. This is the same man who met with the North Vietnamese Communist and Vietcong in Paris in 1970 while he was in the Navel Reserves.
Sure Kerry is incompetent and maybe even delusional. But that doesn’t explain his actions. He’s as far left as Obama is. That’s all you have to know.
There is a good chance that John Fing Kerry was NOT a member of the Naval Reserve when he went to Paris. If his true status was revealed, it is possible his status was “deserter” . His navy records are sealed. He was probably included in the pardon that Jimma Catta handed out. The man is a FRAUD from birth. just like his boss.
More troubling information here:
The Volokh Conspiracy
Some Israel-Gaza notes
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/07/26/some-israel-gaza-notes/
Kerry wasn’t invited or needed in there, so what’s this — trying to make himself seem to be the involved point-man power-broker by holding meetings with funders of terrorist groups?
We should be having absolutely nothing to do with Qatar, especially.
Israel needs to demand a different representative. This Secretary of State is neither competent or a friend of Israel.
They would better off if Putin was chosen to be the intermediary.
It is amazing that sophisticated people continue to attribute obama’s pro radical-muslim actions to incompetence.
Richard Fernandez, who occupies the OTHER end of the “smart and aware of reality” bell-curve from Kerry and Baracula.
http://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2014/07/26/christmas-in-july/#more-38293
Every day brings the world closer to a conflagration, and it is mostly on our administration.
Magical thinking is dangerous.
Kerry as a friend of Israel? No… Kerry is a malevolent piece of crap who is carrying water for the malevolent piece of crap he works for. Apparently, Obama’s fondest wish is a world burning out of control.
Dear World Opinion,
Are Israel’s borders inviolable, or not?
I would like to get the answer from every head of state from the approximately 200 or so countries of the world on the record.
If you say, “Yes,” then, aren’t those borders “red lines”?
If you cross a red line, or fire thousands of rockets over it … or tunnel under it in hopes of slaughtering people … shouldn’t there be repercussions, as opposed to rewards?
If you say, “No,” what is the basis for your own sovereignty?
Thank you in advance for your kindly response.
LukeHandCool (who more and more thinks his social phobia is a blessing … or at least an insight)
I’d like to know one thing: How does Qatar gets away with supporting Hamas and allegedly ISIS in Iraq? I know that the U.S. has bases over there..but is for their protection, not ours. I hope that one day we have a president that will raise this issue with them…you’re either with us and our allies or you are the enemy…
Somebody posted a great comment on FB “All it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to fund it”.
Kerry is not very smart. I get the feeling that he is manipulated very effectively by the mandarins in the State Dept. This could be the true story of his recent “on-mike” gaffe where he was heard saying “We’ve got to get over there”, even though he was not invited and rushing over to Cairo and Israel at that precise moment was not the best diplomatic move.
It seems possible that the pro-Hamas, (or anti-Israel) employees in the State Dept are goading him on to take these diplomatic maneuvers and positions that are so contrary to the best strategic interests of the US.
I’m wondering how much of the inexplicable is George Soros crap… http://www.dcclothesline.com/2014/05/14/secretary-state-john-kerry-introduce-george-soros-state-department-open-forum/
I have not realized today just now appropriately the words “Kerry” and “carry” work well together. What I thought was the Kerry carries water for out Muslim president.
Every day, this putrid Regime brings new disgrace to America and freedom-loving peoples everywhere.
It’s going to be a long 908 days, my friends. In the immortal words of Dan Rather, “Courage.”
Delusional or diabolical? Or just doing what the vermin in the White House are telling him?
As much as I feel for Israel and Israelis for being caught in this kind of crazy situation. Well the reality is that American Jews are primary supporters of the Democrats. Obama and Kerry couldn’t be where they are without them and they couldn’t do the damage they are doing without them.
Birds, home, roost. Assemble at need.
I hope it doesn’t result in the destruction of Israel. But the blame lies squarely on American Jews if it does. And an Israel without the guarantee of American military support isn’t where I’d want to imagine.
This should not be minimized. The Jewish community in the United States was instrumental in getting Obama elected, and then reelected. Under a President Romney, we wouldn’t have a (likely) deserter for Secretary of State, and rearming Israel would not be an issue. But, then again, neither John McCain III, or Mitt Romney grew up under Islam for part of their childhoods, nor did they sit in the pews of a Black Liberation church for 20 years.
The Jews voting for and funding President Obama, the Dems, either need to understand that they are supporting their enemies, or, they are going to wake up one day with Israel overrun by the millions of Arabs surrounding them.
Apparently Obama/Kerry are the lesser evil. The conservatives and fundamentalist Christians of the Republican Party are perceived as the bigger danger.
Speaking of chickens coming home to roost.
Israel, America and Western nations are not innocent. We now have laws that enable us to break all of the Commandments and some that would force us to do so.
See Leviticus 26 for the consequences. Particularly Leviticus 26:17, “Those that hate you will rule over you.”
In January, Israel instituted state-sponsored (free) abortion for women between 20-33.
In the US alone, 55+ million innocent lives and our collective humanity destroyed for the sake of sexual gratification and convenience. Globally, the number is astonishing. So many abortions have caused population problems, in Russia, too few people to support the economy, and in China, too few females. In Europe, native populations are decreasing while muslims are increasing, creating a dangerous and unpleasant situation. Obama and Soros and their enablers and global chaos are our other consequences.
G-D always requires repentance and obedience of His people and nations – II Chronicles 7:14. See also Isaiah 10:5 and 31:8-9 The Sword that will defeat Assyria (Babylon, etc.) is the Word of G-D and repentance/returning to His Law/Commandments/Word. Judgment and repentance must begin in the Household of Faith.
I think I would be less concerned if I thought this was actually idiocy. (That isn’t to say that I don’t think Kerry is an idiot) I think this is deliberate. Israel surely knows by now that anti-Semitism is alive and well and dwells in the Democrat Party, which is astonishing considering that the majority of Jews in this country are Democrats.
Why does anyone expect fairness or rationality from Kerry?
This man volunteered for the Navy, volunteered for even more hazardous duty and then finagled himself 3 combat medals (and probably recommended himself for even more) then when the tide of public opinion turned against the war put himself forward as a conscientious objector and leader of those against the war. With the help of “The Swimmer” Kennedy (and a convenient divorce and then marriage to a pickle heir and all her money) parlayed that into a sinecure as a Faux Senator from Massacheusetts.
In MY opinion (and I served with him) the man is a gigolo. Pay him enough in the coin he desires and he will dance any step, sing any tune all the while feeling you up and taking your wallet.
A disgrace in any language or in any military.
Frankly, that’s what I expect from this administration.
Awesome. Hamas has a chance to regroup, rearm, and reset human shields.
On the bright side – Israel clearly understands who / what they are dealing with. And utterly reject him.
Much as I despise the dishonorably discharged traitor Kerry, this is all Obama.