Wednesday on CNN’s “The Lead,” while discussing outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry’s remarks on the Middle East peace process in light of the Obama administration’s failure to veto the recent U.N. resolution criticizing Israeli settlements, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) “there was a moral equivalence tone to what John Kerry was saying between settlements on one hand and terrorist activities and murders carried out by the Palestinians on the other.”
Referring to host Jake Tapper grilling the Obama administration’s deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes moments before King’s appearance about the administration seeming to imply there is a “moral equivalence” between Israeli “people building homes,” and Palestinian terrorists “killing people,” King said, “I think ultimately some of those settlements will have to be scaled back.”
“But I think, despite what Ben Rhodes was saying, there was a moral equivalence tone to what John Kerry was saying between settlements on one hand and terrorist activities and murders carried out by the Palestinians on the other,” he continued. “And also I don’t think he gave the Israelis enough credit for what they’ve done over the years. Back in 2000—President Clinton later told me it was one of his biggest disappointments—the Israelis gave the Palestinians almost everything they wanted. That was Prime Minister Barak at the time with Arafat. And Arafat walked away from the deal even though President Clinton spent the last six weeks in office trying to close that deal. I was over in Israel in 2005 when Prime Minister Sharon gave up Gaza. Again he did that resisting many people in his own country. Israelis have made sacrifices over the years and I don’t think John Kerry gave them enough credit. Again I was in Jerusalem with Prime Minister Rabin in 1993, the day the agreement was reached in Oslo with Perez and Arafat. I met with Shimon Peres several days later. Over these years since 1993 on, since Oslo on, I think the Israelis have made many steps toward peace and they’ve not been reciprocated by the Palestinians.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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