Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., speculated that Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech on Wednesday about Israeli-Palestinian tensions might actually hurt the chances of peace in the region.
While Kerry spoke for 70 minutes about the necessity of the two-state solution, he was criticized for focusing on Israel’s settlements instead of Palestine’s reluctance to come to the bargaining table to negotiate for peace.
Murphy, who appeared on MSNBC Thursday, said that focus on Israel, and the failure to veto a United Nations resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, may push President-elect Trump closer to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leaving him unable to be an independent broker for peace.
“Maybe this is the natural extension of what has been a very dysfunctional relationship” between the administration and Netanyahu, Murphy said. “In the end, this may have the opposite effect of what President Obama and John Kerry would hope, in that it would push Donald Trump closer and closer into Netanyahu’s hands.”
Trump will likely have a better relationship with Netanyahu than Obama, but that might not be what’s best for peace, Murphy said. But, that closeness to Netanyahu may end up costing the United States a chance to broker peace between Palestinians and Israelis.
“I certainly think he can build a better relationship with Netanyahu,” Murphy said. “But, when the U.S. has been most productive in trying to achieve peace is when the U.S. has been perceived as being able to bring both sides together.”
Trump has said he wants to be the person who puts an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict, but Murphy doubted he has the diplomatic ability.
“I’m not sure Trump is going to be able to do that,” he said.
