Middle East affairs are as chaotic and anarchic as ever. Syria is in the midst of a civil war. In Egypt, Muslim brotherhood forces have taken to the streets, waging a holy war on the Coptic Christian community. Iran is on the move, coming closer and closer each day towards achieving the status of a nuclear powered state-sponsor of terror. In Iraq, anarchy has ensued, resulting in a daily dose of suicide bombings.
Yet the chief diplomat of the free world, Secretary of State John Kerry, is going to the free, democratic State of Israel, demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu part with his countries’ vital interests to continue the Israel-Palestinian “peace process”.
The suggestion behind the motive of Kerry’s trip is two fold: Garnering support for military intervention in Syria, along with pushing forward the ongoing “peace talks.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was focused on the big picture, expressing that all action must ultimately focus within the context of “the Syrian regime’s patron, Iran.” The Prime Minister also worried about Bashar Al-Assad’s recklessness regarding his oversight of Syria’s chemical weapons. Simply put, Netanyahu stressed, “The Syrian regime must be stripped of all its chemical weapons… That would make our entire region a lot safer.”
Last weekend while in London, Secretary Kerry got together with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. A US State department statement said, “They discussed the ongoing negotiations, how to intensify them, and how to ensure their success.”
Some Israeli Parliament members have become fed up with Secretary Kerry’s insistence upon mutual culpability, that both sides are ultimately to blame for the lack of peace, and both must continue to make compromises in order to come to a peaceful accord. Recently, Israel’s hand was ultimately forced into a US-brokered negotiation to release 104 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom were serving life sentences for homicide and terror attacks on innocent civilians. In a letter written by 16 Israeli MKs that are part of Netanyahu’s right-of-center coalition, they firmly stated, “Tell the Secretary of State that Israel has no intention of returning to the parameters of the Oslo Accords or relinquishing any more of Israel’s homeland to the Palestinian Authority.”
Meanwhile, the PA maintained its usual rhetoric when a Senior Palestinian Authority official said on Palestinian TV that the realistic chances of peace with Israel is “slim“, blaming it on the “occupation.” Interestingly enough, he called for a greater US influence within the mediation of peace talks.
It appears as if the Israelis have become less and less interested with a foreign diplomat meddling in their affairs. Close observers may note this observance comes with prudence and good reason. So far, no objective measure of success has come from Kerry’s mediation. Worse off, with the Middle East in full meltdown mode, Kerry refuses to give up on his focus with the Israel-Palestine debacle. He would end his meeting with Netanyahu by proclaiming, “What is clearer than ever is that this is a road worth traveling.”
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