Republican members of Congress ganged up on the Obama administration’s attitude toward Israel following Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech on the Jewish state’s relationship with Palestinians Wednesday.
The negative reaction to the speech was unanimous among Republican lawmakers, with some calling it “disastrous.” Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said it could generously be described as “a pointless tirade.”
“Secretary Kerry’s speech today was at best a pointless tirade in the waning days of an outgoing administration. At worst, it was another dangerous outburst that will further Israel’s diplomatic isolation and embolden its enemies,” McCain said.
The Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said he favors a two-state solution, much like Kerry, but doesn’t believe the American government has the right to dictate that solution to the Israelis.
Instead, the fixes to the problems in the Middle East must come from the ground up, he said.
“Public lectures against Israel and UN resolutions attacking Israel do not aid the cause of peace,” McCain said. “They only provide those seeking Israel’s destruction a convenient excuse to blame Israel for their own intransigence.”
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said “like bitter clingers, President Obama and Secretary Kerry are spending every last minute of this administration wreaking havoc domestically and abroad.”
“These acts are shameful,” Cruz said. “They are designed to secure a legacy, and indeed they have: history will record and the world will fully understand Obama and Kerry as relentless enemies of Israel. Their actions were designed to weaken and marginalize Israel, and to embolden its enemies.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called Kerry’s proposals for peace in the Middle East “fanciful,” if not “delusional.”
He said the Palestinians can’t agree among themselves how to run the areas of where they have some autonomy and can’t function as a state right now. The only way stability can take hold in the Holy Land is if Israel is strongly supported by he United States, he said.
“I wish Secretary Kerry and President Obama would stop pushing Israel to negotiate against themselves,” Graham said. “The only way the peace process can be restarted is for the Palestinians to hold elections and be governed by a single entity that rejects terrorism. That is not the current situation and until that day arrives, pushing Israel to restart the peace process is folly.”
Other members of the upper chamber also had harsh words for the nation’s top diplomat.
Republican senator, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said Kerry’s speech was a recipe for more pain, not peace.
“The ‘path to peace’ laid out today by Secretary Kerry would actually bring the exact opposite — it is a path to pain,” Scott said. “This whole charade is putting Israel at a huge disadvantage in peace negotiations, and needlessly tests our nation’s relationship with a critical ally in a volatile part of the world. With three weeks left in this administration, it is absolutely ridiculous that they would choose to continue antagonizing Israel.”
He added, “I strongly believe that next month we will make it clear to the world that the United States stands with Israel, and that our decades-long friendship is solid.”
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, added Kerry’s speech was “pie-in-sky” and wouldn’t help solve any issues in Israel.
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., said Kerry showed “willful ignorance” that will be damaging to American security.
“Secretary John Kerry’s disastrous speech today at the State Department reveals willful ignorance putting Israeli and American families at risk of more terrorist attacks,” Wilson said. “If President Obama and Secretary Kerry wanted to promote peace they should have vetoed the UN Security Council Resolution. Their betrayal of our ally, Israel, undermines the peace process.”
He cited President-elect Trump’s signaling toward Israel in recent days, promising more support from the United States, as a beacon of change coming soon.
“Fortunately, positive change will come January 20th with President-elect Donald Trump,” Wilson said. “His selection of Gov. Nikki Haley as UN ambassador is more important than ever to stand strong with Israel for peace and democracy.”
