The Republican Jewish Coalition has released a statement “strongly criticizing” Secretary of State John Kerry for blaming Israel for the impasse in talks between the Israeli government and the Palestinians, calling Kerry’s statements “outrageous.” Executive Director Matt Brooks said:
After almost nine months of negotiations, during which Israel took concrete steps to advance the process, including the release of 78 prisoners – many of them terrorists – it is outrageous for Secretary Kerry to blame the Jewish state for the apparent failure of the diplomatic process undertaken at his insistence.
The simple fact is that while Israel has supported the peace talks, the Palestinians have consistently undercut them. Most recently, Israel has pledged to continue talks past Kerry’s original deadline and the Palestinian side has refused to do the same.
Secretary Kerry’s testimony today is a troubling consequence of the Obama administration’s assumption that increasing the pressure on Israel will bring the Palestinians back to a process they have repeatedly rejected.
The statement from the RJC noted Kerry blaming Israel here, here, and here.
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