http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/176097
Officials: Kerry Way Out of His League in Talks
Officials said that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has 'almost no
understanding of how things work in the Middle East'.
By David Lev
First Publish: 1/9/2014, 7:48 AM
US Secretary of State John Kerry
US Secretary of State John Kerry
After weeks of diplomatic activity, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry
is expected in the coming days to present what is expected to be at
least a temporary agreement or framework for peace between Israel and
the Palestinian Authority, but senior Israeli officials are already
dismissing the plan as “unsophisticated” and “unusable.”
The officials, quoted in Yisrael Hayom, said that Kerry had been
rushing hither and fro in and attempt to hammer out details of what is
expected to be the framework of what he would like to see implemented
in order to pave the way for a final-status agreement. The framework
is expected to lay out the final goals and eventual shape of a
final-status deal, with Israel committing to give up land in Judea and
Samaria, and the PA expected by Kerry to recognize Israel as a Jewish
state and to back off on some of its demands.
But based on Kerry's public statements and conversations with them,
the officials quoted said they don't expect anything useful to emerge
from the process. “Kerry is here in the region a lot, but he has
almost no understanding of how things work in the Middle East.
“As a result, the American plan is unsophisticated, and does not
answer the needs of both sides,” the officials said. “There is no
connection between the positive statements Kerry is making in public
and the details of the deal. He is, to put it mildly, very unfamiliar
with the roots of the conflict, and as a result is incapable of
bringing true solutions to the table.
He can't even read maps of the
region properly,” the officials added.
Tags: Peace Process, Yisrael HaYom, John Kerry