10 Lies Secretary of State Kerry Told During His Big Middle East Peace Speech
Photo by Bryan Thomas/Getty Images
DECEMBER 28, 2016
On Wednesday, Secretary of State John Kerry gave a speech on his proposed plan
for peace between Israelis and Arabs. His plan: blame the Jews, pretend that
Palestinian terrorism and incitement isn’t representative of the actual Palestinian
government, and then blather for 69 more minutes. His speech razed facts to the
ground in a fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan.
for peace between Israelis and Arabs. His plan: blame the Jews, pretend that
Palestinian terrorism and incitement isn’t representative of the actual Palestinian
government, and then blather for 69 more minutes. His speech razed facts to the
ground in a fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan.
Here were ten of the worst lies and lies-by-omission Kerry purveyed in his ode
to lying and self-indulgence:
to lying and self-indulgence:
1. Equating Jewish Settlements and Palestinian Terrorism. Israel has been
wracked by a wave of stabbings and shootings and rocket attacks from
Palestinian terrorists over the last two years. Kerry spent a few minutes on that,
but only in order to draw moral equivalence with Jews building additional
bathrooms in East Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. “The truth is that trends on
the ground, violence, terrorism, settlement expansion, and the seemingly
endless occupation, they are combining to destroy hopes for peace on both
sides,” Kerry said. This is nonsense. Before there were any Jewish settlements –
when Israel did not control Judea, Samaria, or Gaza – the Palestine Liberation
Organization called for the “liberation” of Palestine, meaning the complete
destruction of Israel. The problem isn’t people building homes. It’s Palestinians
murdering Jews, and refusing to accept that any home built by a Jew ought to
exist in the Middle East.
wracked by a wave of stabbings and shootings and rocket attacks from
Palestinian terrorists over the last two years. Kerry spent a few minutes on that,
but only in order to draw moral equivalence with Jews building additional
bathrooms in East Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. “The truth is that trends on
the ground, violence, terrorism, settlement expansion, and the seemingly
endless occupation, they are combining to destroy hopes for peace on both
sides,” Kerry said. This is nonsense. Before there were any Jewish settlements –
when Israel did not control Judea, Samaria, or Gaza – the Palestine Liberation
Organization called for the “liberation” of Palestine, meaning the complete
destruction of Israel. The problem isn’t people building homes. It’s Palestinians
murdering Jews, and refusing to accept that any home built by a Jew ought to
exist in the Middle East.
2. “If The Choice Is One State, Israel Can Either Be Jewish Or Democratic.
It Cannot Be Both.” This is patently absurd. There has been one state in the
area between the Jordan and the Mediterranean for some 50 years. That state
has been democratic. This lie rests on two absurd contentions: first, that if
Israel were to annex all Judea and Samaria, Jews would be outnumbered by
Arabs; second, that if Israel were to annex all lands, Israel would have to grant
all Palestinian Arabs full citizenship or face status as an apartheid state. The
first claim is simply false – Jews outnumber Palestinian Arabs outside of the
Gaza Strip by a factor of two-to-one, and Jews now have the equivalent birth
rate of Palestinian Arabs, and will soon have a higher birth rate, as Caroline
Glick points out, meaning that Jewish majority status will increase, not
decrease. Second, the United States does not offer citizenship to all the
people living within its borders, or over territories over which it has sovereignty.
Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic are governed semi-autonomously,
but citizens of Puerto Rico cannot vote in presidential elections in the United
States. Israel could easily grant green cards to Palestinian residents while
also giving them local control of their governance without a national vote.
It Cannot Be Both.” This is patently absurd. There has been one state in the
area between the Jordan and the Mediterranean for some 50 years. That state
has been democratic. This lie rests on two absurd contentions: first, that if
Israel were to annex all Judea and Samaria, Jews would be outnumbered by
Arabs; second, that if Israel were to annex all lands, Israel would have to grant
all Palestinian Arabs full citizenship or face status as an apartheid state. The
first claim is simply false – Jews outnumber Palestinian Arabs outside of the
Gaza Strip by a factor of two-to-one, and Jews now have the equivalent birth
rate of Palestinian Arabs, and will soon have a higher birth rate, as Caroline
Glick points out, meaning that Jewish majority status will increase, not
decrease. Second, the United States does not offer citizenship to all the
people living within its borders, or over territories over which it has sovereignty.
Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic are governed semi-autonomously,
but citizens of Puerto Rico cannot vote in presidential elections in the United
States. Israel could easily grant green cards to Palestinian residents while
also giving them local control of their governance without a national vote.
3. Peace Will Only Be Realized With a Palestinian Terror State. The notion
that peace depends on the establishment of a Palestinian terror state – and
that’s what will be established, given that the unity government of the
Palestinians now includes Hamas and Islamic Jihad alongside Fatah – is
asinine. Israel has had to blockade Gaza because Hamas controls it, and is
attempting to take military shipments from Iran. Adding another Iran-backed
terror proxy state to the Middle Eastern map is a great way to encourage a
two-front war against Israel, given the presence of Hezbollahstan on Israel’s
northern border.
that peace depends on the establishment of a Palestinian terror state – and
that’s what will be established, given that the unity government of the
Palestinians now includes Hamas and Islamic Jihad alongside Fatah – is
asinine. Israel has had to blockade Gaza because Hamas controls it, and is
attempting to take military shipments from Iran. Adding another Iran-backed
terror proxy state to the Middle Eastern map is a great way to encourage a
two-front war against Israel, given the presence of Hezbollahstan on Israel’s
northern border.
4. “No American Administration Has Done More For The Security of
Israel Than Barack Obama’s.” To put it mildly, LOL. LOLOLOLOLOL. Funny
guy, this Kerry. Here’s a timeline of Obama’s “support” for Israel. That
timeline doesn’t even include the Iran nuclear deal or the current UN resolution
hubbub.
Israel Than Barack Obama’s.” To put it mildly, LOL. LOLOLOLOLOL. Funny
guy, this Kerry. Here’s a timeline of Obama’s “support” for Israel. That
timeline doesn’t even include the Iran nuclear deal or the current UN resolution
hubbub.
5. Israeli Intransigence Is The Problem. Nope. Not even close. In 2008,
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert offered 94.2 percent of Judea and Samaria
to the Palestinians, a corridor that would link that territory to the Gaza Strip,
land swaps that would increase Palestinian land holdings, a formula for division
of Jerusalem. Abbas refused the deal. In 2000, Prime Minister Ehud Barak
offered a similar deal. Yassar Arafat refused it. Palestinians have never
accepted any deal offered by the Israelis. Israelis continue to offer. But the
problem is clearly the mean, nasty Israelis. And by the way, that awful
Netanyahu fellow offered to freeze settlements early in the Obama
administration, and the Palestinians responded with violence.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert offered 94.2 percent of Judea and Samaria
to the Palestinians, a corridor that would link that territory to the Gaza Strip,
land swaps that would increase Palestinian land holdings, a formula for division
of Jerusalem. Abbas refused the deal. In 2000, Prime Minister Ehud Barak
offered a similar deal. Yassar Arafat refused it. Palestinians have never
accepted any deal offered by the Israelis. Israelis continue to offer. But the
problem is clearly the mean, nasty Israelis. And by the way, that awful
Netanyahu fellow offered to freeze settlements early in the Obama
administration, and the Palestinians responded with violence.
6. Settlements Are Illegal. No, they aren’t. Kerry declared over and over
that Israelis settling east of the so-called green line are living there illegally.
That’s patent nonsense. He also suggested that no Jews would be
allowed to live inside a new Palestinian state, because Jews would object –
ignoring, of course, that Palestinians would quickly murder any Jew
remaining in a Palestinian state, and Jews have a slight objection to being
murdered. Right now, over a million Arabs live inside Israel. Virtually no Jews
live in the Muslim world because they were expelled, and quickly absorbed
into Israel.
that Israelis settling east of the so-called green line are living there illegally.
That’s patent nonsense. He also suggested that no Jews would be
allowed to live inside a new Palestinian state, because Jews would object –
ignoring, of course, that Palestinians would quickly murder any Jew
remaining in a Palestinian state, and Jews have a slight objection to being
murdered. Right now, over a million Arabs live inside Israel. Virtually no Jews
live in the Muslim world because they were expelled, and quickly absorbed
into Israel.
7. Equating Palestinian Government With Israeli Government. Perhaps
the most insane spectacle was Kerry suggesting that the Netanyahu
government is beholden to the “most extreme elements” in Israeli politics,
while pooh-poohing Palestinian government support for terrorism. Kerry
suggested that Hamas was a troublesome rogue group as opposed to an
integral part of the Palestinian unity government.
the most insane spectacle was Kerry suggesting that the Netanyahu
government is beholden to the “most extreme elements” in Israeli politics,
while pooh-poohing Palestinian government support for terrorism. Kerry
suggested that Hamas was a troublesome rogue group as opposed to an
integral part of the Palestinian unity government.
8. Israel As Purported Burden To The United States. Kerry spent serious
time talking about how the United States had subsumed its own interests in
order to give military aid to Israel. Of course, the Obama administration has
also given aid to the Palestinian unity terror government, and attempted to
block weapons shipments in the middle of the Gaza terror war. And even
the Obama administration says that such aid is good for the United
States defense industry; a huge percentage of American aid to Israel is
a subsidy to domestic defense contractors. Israel is America’s only
democratic ally in the region.
time talking about how the United States had subsumed its own interests in
order to give military aid to Israel. Of course, the Obama administration has
also given aid to the Palestinian unity terror government, and attempted to
block weapons shipments in the middle of the Gaza terror war. And even
the Obama administration says that such aid is good for the United
States defense industry; a huge percentage of American aid to Israel is
a subsidy to domestic defense contractors. Israel is America’s only
democratic ally in the region.
9. The UN Resolution Changed Nothing. Kerry kept stating that the UN
resolution didn’t do much to change the status quo. That’s false. This UN
resolution said that all territories outside the 1949 Israel armistice lines –
the “Auschwitz borders” – are occupied, including Jerusalem and holy
sites like the Western Wall. It calls for all settlements in those areas
“flagrant” violations of international law. There’s a reason Kerry pushed
this thing through: of course it changes things.
resolution didn’t do much to change the status quo. That’s false. This UN
resolution said that all territories outside the 1949 Israel armistice lines –
the “Auschwitz borders” – are occupied, including Jerusalem and holy
sites like the Western Wall. It calls for all settlements in those areas
“flagrant” violations of international law. There’s a reason Kerry pushed
this thing through: of course it changes things.
10. The Obama Administration’s Maneuvers Help Peace. This is the
opposite of the truth. America’s position for two decades has been that
it would not cram down a peace deal on the Israelis and Palestinians –
all issues would have to be resolved through bilateral negotiations. By
placing the onus for all concessions on Israel and making Israel subject
to the possibility of blowback from the International Court of Justice,
Obama just allowed Palestinians to abandon any pretense at negotiations
and stand on their newfound “rights.”
opposite of the truth. America’s position for two decades has been that
it would not cram down a peace deal on the Israelis and Palestinians –
all issues would have to be resolved through bilateral negotiations. By
placing the onus for all concessions on Israel and making Israel subject
to the possibility of blowback from the International Court of Justice,
Obama just allowed Palestinians to abandon any pretense at negotiations
and stand on their newfound “rights.”
Kerry’s speech was chock full of lies. But here’s the good news: nobody
will remember it a month from now, just as nobody will remember John
Kerry’s legacy beyond his slander of American soldiers in Vietnam.
will remember it a month from now, just as nobody will remember John
Kerry’s legacy beyond his slander of American soldiers in Vietnam.
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