Israeli Officials Lash Kerry Over Push to Resume Peace Talks

Kerry: Stalled Talks Help ISIS Recruitment

Top Israeli officials, as they tend to be every couple of months, were inconsolably outraged at Secretary of State John Kerry, after Kerry said he believes the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian peace process is a “cause of recruitment” for ISIS.

Economic Minister Naftali Bennett led the official show of outrage today, claiming Kerry was engaged in “anti-Semitism” for the comments, declaring “someone will always blame the Jew.” Bennett went on to claim Kerry’s comments were “aiding global terrorism.”

Other Israeli officials insisted the comments were unacceptable, largely officials who were opposed to the peace process, and who were condemning Kerry for pushing it even before the ISIS comments.

The State Department tried to downplay the row, saying that they assume Israelis were given “false information” about what Kerry actually said, and that Bennett was distorting his comments “for political gains.”

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.