Netanyahu Testifies: John Kerry Boasted About U.S.-Trained Forces in Afghanistan

Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry boasted to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the strength of U.S.-trained forces in Afghanistan and their ability to resist the Taliban, Netanyahu testified in court on Tuesday.

Netanyahu was taking the stand in his own defense in a criminal trial that critics have called politically motivated.

He defended his actions in seeking to diversify the Israeli media — and entertained the court with political anecdotes.

Among them, he said, was the story of Kerry’s invitation to visit Afghanistan to see how well the U.S. was training its Afghan allies. Kerry’s purpose was to persuade Netanyahu to allow the U.S. to train and arm Palestinian police forces, as the Obama administration pressured Israel to leave Judea and Samaria (otherwise known as the West Bank).

Netanyahu was skeptical, he said. The Times of Israel reported on his testimony:

“John Kerry also offered that I go on a secret visit to Afghanistan to see how the Americans are doing the same thing for local Afghan forces,” the prime minister continued.

But Netanyahu said he told Kerry that the whole scheme was a bad idea.

“I said, John, I want to tell you something — the moment you leave Afghanistan, the forces you are training will collapse under the [pressure] of the Islamists,” Netanyahu told the court.

Netanyahu noted that he had received negative coverage in the Israeli media for refusing to agree to Kerry’s plans or to President Barack Obama’s “appeasement.”