Arabic Social Media Unimpressed With ‘Bizarre’ John Kerry Mideast Speech

U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-MA) listens to opening statements from fellow Senate Committee
Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Ali Waked

Arab social media users were not impressed with outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech outlining his vision of a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Twitter users charged that Barack Obama, the lame duck US president, is going out of his way to try to secure a legacy in his last days in office, and said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas does not have the powers necessary to implement the process toward statehood as outlined in Kerry’s speech and the UN Security Council resolution against Israeli settlements.

Twitter user Ahmad Agha responded to Kerry’s speech saying, “Abbas doesn’t represent the Palestinians. Remember, the Palestinian resistance wrought more damage on the enemy than the armies of seven Arab countries ever could.”

https://twitter.com/aghaa1_ahmad/status/814238928370880516

“Kerry’s speech was bizarre, I was left stunned by it,” Ahmad Alsharif tweeted at CNN Arabic’s official twitter account.

Responding to the same CNN Arabic tweet, Magdi Kamel remarked that Kerry showed “courage during garbage time.”

Abu Yazeed took to Twitter to say, “Whoever’s harboring optimism regarding anything coming out of the White House is but a fool.”

Anwar Musaed tweeted, “This is an attempt to change the score in injury time. Only a month until the American regime changes and these pronouncements will turn into dust.”

Faig Alsheak opined, “Kerry’s speech on Israel and Palestine is important, and will be extensively covered in the media, but overall it’s meaningless for it’s a swan song.”

Twitter user M.K. wrote, “The administration realizes it has nothing to lose.”

Mahmoud Mubarak, however, was excited by the speech, saying it “would go down as historic. He said what no other Western or Arab leader has said in a long time. If only for once in his life, he’s gathered the courage.”

https://twitter.com/m_mobarak/status/814162668554752000

Twitter user Shady replied, saying, “What’s the use of it when he’s saying it on his way out?”

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