John Kerry condemns Israel
What motivation or what good will come from John Kerry's put down of Israel or indeed the backing the US gave to the UN Resolution condemning Israeli settlements on the West Bank?When the Obama Administration funded the Israeli military to the tune of $38 billion the most any American government has given to the Israelis isn't that being two faced?
When Obama came into government it was always known that Netanyahu and he did not see eye to eye on many things. Never the less Obama declared like all American Presidents before him his undying support for the Jewish state and helped Israel in its war with Gaza. Obama also hosted two peace meetings between the Israelis and Palestinians but the talks broke down and did not get any where.
Is Obama panicking in the time he has left to him that he thinks he should have been the President who finally brought peace to both sides and that should have been one of his legacies? Perhaps Obama feels he should have done more hence him backing the UN Resolution condemning Israel's settlements on the West Bank and wheeling out John Kerry to attack Israel's settlement policy.
In the speech John Kerry also re - iterated the US mantra that there should be two states living alongside each other in peace and security with Jerusalem as a shared capital. He said he was aware that the incoming Trump administration would take a different view of the Israeli - Palestinian conflict but he felt he had a duty to point out that the peace between Israel and Palestine was dying.
Trump mean while took to Twitter as he always does when most sane folk are asleep saying Israel should stay strong until he took over the Oval Office and said it was the Palestinians not the Israelis who were an obstacle to peace. It seems this is the age of strong men with Netanyahu in Israel, Putin in Russia, Duterte in The Philippines and Trump in the US and its no wonder that all these men would get on as they are very similar in nature. We know the relationship between Trump and Putin is going to be warm unless something goes wrong and it seems the same will be with Netanyahu no surprise really.
Netanyahu mean while responding to Kerry and the UN Resolution backed by the US, UK and others said Israel did not need a lecture from foreign governments about the two state solution. They already knew what had to be done to keep peace between itself and its neighbours presumably he mean't the Palestinians as well as that is what the two state solution is about: Israel and Palestine.
For its response the Palestinian Authority peace negotiator Saeb Erakat has said Palestine will not return to peace talks with Israel as long as the government of Netanyahu keeps populating the West Bank with Israeli settlements.
As the Obama administration is in its death throws and the Trump era yet to begin it seems peace for Israel and Palestine is as far away as ever. That is probably the way it will stay as long as the West and the Arab World, Russia and Iran are sidelined by the war in Syria
John Kerry
Short Bio of John Kerry
1) John Forbes Kerry born in Aurora, Colorado on December 11 1943
2) Attended boarding school Massachusetts and New Hampshire
3) Graduated from Yale in 1966 with a Major in Political Science
4) Enlisted in Naval Reserve
5) Served in Vietnam in charge of a Swift Boat
6) Gained Silver Star Medal, Bronze Star Medal, and Three Purple Heart Medals
7) When out of the forces he joined The Vietnam Vets Against The War
8) Worked as an District Attorney
9) Was elected to the Senate in 1984
10) Supported Bush's war against Iraq in 2002/03 but said all moves to find peace must be exhausted first
11) In 2004 Kerry stood for job as President himself condemning the Iraq War but lost
12) In 2013 Barack Obama brought in John Kerry as Secretary of State to replace Hillary Clinton
13) John Kerry is a Christian of the Roman Catholic Church but has Jewish ancestors who originated in the European Austro - Hungarian Empire
14) Was married to Julia Stimson from which he had two daughters
15) Currently married to Maria Teresa Thierstein Simoes Ferreira
Benjamin Netanyahu
Short Bio of Benjamin Netanyahu
1) Born in Tel Aviv, Israel to secular Jewish parents
2) Born shortly after founding of the Jewish state
3) First Israeli born Prime Minister
4) Longest serving Prime Minister ever being elected four times
5) Served in the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)
6) Served in a special forces unit and took part in famous military operations
7) Worked in Boston, USA as an Economic Advisor
8) Returned home in 1978 to found Yonatan Netanyahu Anti - Terror Institute. Institute named after brother who died on a raid in Uganda
9) Regarded as a Fascist by some because of his hard line attitudes to the Palestinians and his endorsement of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and wars against Gaza
10) When he was Prime Minister he was defeated in general election by Ehud Barak
11) Served Likud Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as Foreign Affairs Minister and Finance Minister
12) Left the Sharon government after the Gaza Disengagement Plan
13) Netanyahu became leader of the Likud party once more and Leader of the Opposition
14) Has been married 3 times with 3 offspring and third and current wife is Sara Netanyahu
15) Is currently serving as Israeli Prime Minister