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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsJohn Kerry: A Staunch Supporter Of Israel But A Harsh Critic Of Its Policies
Kerrys appointment as Secretary of State is unlikely to encounter meaningful opposition among pro-Israeli Jewish groups, who are saving their ammunition for Hagel's nomination for Secretary of Defense.By Chemi Shalev | Dec.22, 2012 | 12:42 AM
Democrat John Kerry was to George Bush in the 2004 presidential elections what Barack Obama was to Mitt Romney in 2012: the candidate who garnered an overwhelming majority of Jewish votes because of his liberal domestic agenda and despite perceptions that his rival was better for the Jewish state.
By any traditional measure, of course, Kerry is a staunch supporter of Israel. He has an exemplary voting record in the Senate on Israel related issues, is a strong advocate of Israels right to defend itself, has repeatedly stood up against global anti-Semitism and believes in a muscular American posture against Irans nuclear designs.
But by the increasingly narrow standards of the term pro-Israel set by the rigid right wing in both Israel and the U.S., Kerry is definitely problematic. He is a harsh critic of settlements, has lambasted the blockade on Gaza and he believes in a two-state solution based on modified 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem - according to a 2010 WikiLeaks diplomatic cable - as its capital.
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http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/west-of-eden/john-kerry-a-staunch-supporter-of-israel-but-a-harsh-critic-of-its-policies.premium-1.489215
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John Kerry: A Staunch Supporter Of Israel But A Harsh Critic Of Its Policies (Original Post)
Purveyor
Dec 2012
OP
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)1. So are they going to start threatening his nomination too?
Purveyor
(29,876 posts)2. Well, he probably has a few 'rings to kiss' but I doubt it. Hagel is in 'their' crosshairs, all the
more reason for the President to go ahead with the Hagal nomination.
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)3. Seems strange that the GOP is OK with Kerry but not with
Hagel in terms of Israel, even though there's probably little to no difference in their views. Especially considering that Kerry will have more direct impact on ME and Israeli matters than Hagel. Unless you look at it from their standpoint: what do they get from a Kerry nomination? They get a shot at a Senate seat. They don't mind being flagrant hypocrites when it suits them.
Purveyor
(29,876 posts)4. Indeed the Senate seat could be a prize for them. Will have to start 'scoring' that one. Never
thought of it that way. Will have to start scoring 'that' one.