Israel’s Penchant for Self-Isolating Provocations — Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon’s Diplomatically Outrageous Comments about America’s Secretary of State, John Kerry

14 January 2014

When you bite the hand that feeds you, you are arguably either an idiot or playing a very dangerous game

To wit:

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon raised the ire of fellow Israeli politicians and the U.S. State Department on Tuesday, after he was was quoted by the Israeli daily Yedioth Aharonoth calling Secretary of State John Kerry "obsessive and messianic," adding that he hoped Kerry "gets a Nobel Prize and leaves us alone."

The complete sentence was:

"American Secretary of State John Kerry, who turned up here determined and acting out of misplaced obsession and messianic fervor, cannot teach me anything about the conflict with the Palestinians."

Perhaps a point to the Palestinian side?

From CNN:

Sa'eb Erekat, chief Palestinian negotiator and a member of the executive committee of the PLO, told CNN the comments were another indication that the Israeli government was trying sabotage Kerry's efforts. Israel wants to dictate terms, not negotiate, he told CNN.

"This is absolutely inappropriate and extremely despicable statements, because Mr. Kerry is exerting every possible human effort for the sake of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and he should not be rewarded with such statements from Yaalon or somebody else," he said.

Other high-ranking Israelis were not happy with Ya’alon’s fiery foolishness

To wit:

Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who leads Israel's negotiating team, wrote on Facebook:

"You can oppose negotiations professionally and responsibly without tongue-lashing and destroying relations with Israel's top ally."

“Publicly clashing with the Americans is irresponsible and damaging to Israel’s security, international standing, and its relations with the United States,” said Bar-Lev, a member of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

“Ya’alon’s statements are testament to a narrow, military view of the needs of the State of Israel and painting them in shades of black and white,” Bar-Lev said.

As a result, the Defense Ministry twirled into a seemingly insincere apology

From the Jerusalem Post:

Following the reports, Ya'alon's Bureau released a statement which contained a pledge to smooth over divisions with Washington, but not a denial of the reported remarks.

Relations between the US and Israel are "intimate and are of high significance for us. The US is our greatest friend and most important ally, and when there are divisions we smooth them over inside the room [behind closed doors], including with Secretary of State Kerry, with whom I hold many talks about the future of Israel," the statement said.

Ya'alon vowed to continue to safeguard the security of Israeli citizens with "determination, responsibility, and sound judgment."

Sound judgment may be a stretch for this Defense Minister.

The moral? — Israel’s often provocative actions cumulatively isolate it further in world opinion

There will (hopefully for the United states) come a time when American leaders are forced to recognize that our interests and often provocatively acting Israel’s are not identical. If so, History is likely to swallow the Zionist state.

That would be a pity. But also an example of what happens when the formerly oppressed begin acting too much like their former oppressors.

PeteFree.com

Israel’s Penchant for Self-Isolating Provocations — Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon’s Diplomatically Outrageous Comments about America’s Secretary of State, John Kerry