Why exactly a “national homeland for Jews” would be acceptable to “Palestinian” Islamic supremacists in a way that “Jewish state” isn’t remains unclear, but the “Palestinians,” as maximalist and unilateral as ever, have already rejected the proposal, so we will probably never glimpse the arcane reasoning processes of the formidable Kerry.
“Report: Kerry suggests defining Israel as ‘national homeland for Jews,'” by Roi Kais for Ynet News, March 29 (thanks to Jerk Chicken):
US Secretary of State John Kerry is trying to overcome the controversy surrounding the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state by changing the definition to “the national homeland of the Jews”, the London-based Arabic Al-Hayat newspaper reported Saturday morning.
The report, that quoted western diplomatic sources, noted that in exchange for Kerry’s initiative, the Palestinians would have to agree that the Palestinian capital would be established only in parts of East Jerusalem; it was further reported that the Palestinians have rejected the proposal.
A Palestinian source told the newspaper that the American side has expressed willingness to change the principle related to the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and make it a requisite in a permanent agreement, however the Palestinians declined.
According to the report, the Palestinian side tends to pull the framework agreement out of the deliberations of fear it will be the new basis for negotiations that weaken the rights of the Palestinians. On the other hand, the newspaper claimed, the Israeli side has non-publicly expressed great enthusiasm to keep the agreement in place.
Meanwhile, western diplomatic sources said that if the formulating of the agreement will flounder, Kerry’s plan is to extend negotiations until the end of the year.
It was further added that Kerry and his aide Martin Indyk updated Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed them that his government will collapse if the fourth round of Palestinian security prisoners release will be executed, since it includes 14 Arab-Israeli prisoners.
The two, according to the report, demanded that Abbas agrees to extend talks in order to convince Israel to free the prisoners, yet Abbas rejected the effort claiming he is unwilling to discuss any matter related to the negotiations before the prisoners are released.
“While Kerry works to achieve a framework agreement, Martin Indyk examines the grounds to continue negotiations in case the framework agreement fails,” Al-Hayat reported.
RCCA says
Of course the Muslim “Palestinians” can’t accept Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. They can’t accept Jews being there in any status except that of dhimmitude. It’s ludicrous that Kerry doesn’t understand this but choses to believe the lie that the issue is the equal rights of Muslims, if Israel is a Jewish state. Maybe he does know this but is compelled to play out this farce for the sake of diplomacy. If he can be as big an a-hole as the Arabs, even more so, he wins; maybe that’s how this game is played.
Angemon says
Obama doesn’t care if Iran gets nuclear weapons. Kerry wants to round all the jews in one place. What a pair.
wildjew says
According to the 1922 (?) League of Nations Mandate (as I understand it, a valid treaty obligation to this day), Israel from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea was to be the Jewish National Home. Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion issued Israel’s Declaration of Independence in May 14, 1948 as five or better Arab states invaded the incipient Jewish state.
On a related matter, is this any big surprise? I don’t think it was a slip either.
New Jersey gov. apologizes for ‘occupied territories’ remark
Chris Christie says he ‘misspoke’ when using the controversial term during his address to a Republican Jewish Coalition event hosted by Sheldon Adelson.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4504959,00.html
Jerry says
Actually, the original “Palestine” as contemplated in the Mandate granted by the league of nations to Britain included all the lands currently occupied by Israel, Jordan and the “Palestinian Authority”.
The British reneged on the original intention of the Mandate. They hurriedly consituted all the lands of “Palestine” East of the Jordan River into an artificial creation called The Kingdom of Trans Jordan. They imported a dignitary from the Hejaz (now part of Saudi Arabia) and made him, originally a puppet monarch of that territory, though, later his grandson and great grandson later emerged no longer puppets. The lands thus ceded to the Kingdom of Trans Jordan – today’s Jordan consituted about 82% of the original “Palestine”.
The so called Israeli – Palestinian conflict that is still smouldering is about only 8% of the original “Plaestine”.
In terms of the original mandate, official documents in the whole of “Palestine” were to be in Hebrew, Arabic and English.
This is largely still observed in Israel but not in Jordan or the areas under the administration of the “Palsetinian Authority”
In contrast, the “Palestinian Authority” has decreed that any one selling land to a Jew would face a death sentence.
Article Seven of the “Hamas Covenant” reaffirm their commitment not only to the destruction of Israel and the genocide of all Israeli Jews but also to the genocide of all Jews of this planet.
While the “PLO” does not appear to have fully articulated that aspiration in writing, they are pretty much commited to the realisation of the same aspiration.
Kerry is serving not the US Constitution but his Muslim born and brought up fake Christian in the White House who seem to bee keener to further Islamic interests rather the interests of the USA
Les says
“REALITY: Americans suggest defining Islam’s rectum as ‘national homeland’ for Kerry, Obama and Hillary…’”
/fixed it.
Jay Boo says
“national homeland for Jews”
========
How long (in minutes) before Kerry apologizes to Muslim Palestinians and qualifies this mean that Jews show have the same status as Christians in Syria or Egypt as opposed to the maintaining Israeli statehood.
Henry says
Israel is a Jewish STATE! 1948 is a historical fact! A Jewish STATE is an absolute necessity!
miriam rove says
Bottom line is this: let’s throw the Israelis under the bus. m
Christian A. Beltram says
I wonder if Mr. Karrie is quoting the Balfore Declaration that was written by Lord Balfore in 1917.
Wellington says
Kerry is a fool, a very limited man (though immensely wealthy) and actually part of the problem. There’s nothing wrong in the Middle East that John Kerry will fix. Ever.
Bernard Sussman says
The League of Nations mandate for Palestine never specified the boundaries of the “Jewish national home” promised by the Balfour Declaration, but the mandate was given to Britain precisely to accomplish the goal of the Balfour Declaration. Originally the “Palestine” of the mandate included all of what is now Israel, the occupied territories, the Golan Heights and Jordan. Jordan, comprising about 78% of the area of the original mandate Palestine, was made a separate kingdom by Britain in 1921, and the Golan Heights (although mentioned in the Bible as part of the Kingdom of Israel) given to Syria under French mandate in 1922, leaving only ‘Cis-Jordan’, the territory west of the Jordan River as the remaining mandate territory. From 1922 until 1947 Britain then stalled on fulfilling the promise of the Balfour Declaration, the UN finally trying (in vain) to get Arab cooperation by an impossible ‘partition’ plan.
The current Arab denial of any Jewish attachment, not even the Temple, to Jerusalem will, if the Arabs get the city, work against Christians, since all the shrines and landmarks associated with Easter and other New Testament events took place in the vicinity of the Temple. Since the Arabs deny that the Temple was in Jerusalem (Arafat suggested it was in Nablus), Christians will similarly be denied an attachment to the city.
mortimer says
Why would any wording be acceptable to all the divergent opinions? Israel is the Jewish homeland clearly. The Koran’s Allah commands the Children of Israel to live in ‘the land’…obviously, the Land of Israel.
jewdog says
I actually think that it’s counterproductive to demand a pledge like this. One danger is that the PA could state it, but be practising taqiyya and continue war as usual later. Another problem is that Abbas is an unelected leader with dubious backing, so if he, or someone equally unrepresentative makes the avowal, how much does it mean?
The way to have real peace is for the Muslims to start treating Jews as equals and not dhimmis. They can start by lifting the boycott of Israel and stop incitement in their media, i.e. by doing things that show acceptance. Talk is cheap.
alan says
Americans voted twice to put a muslim in the white house. By so doing you plunged the world into the deadly global rising tide of Islamic hatred and lft wing ideological tyranny. As a non american Christian, I will always be pro Israel and anti Muslim… America: wake up and get rid of Hussein Obama the Jihadist.
wildjew says
Alan, Obama boasted in his June 2009 al-Azhar University (Cairo) speech, he comes from generations of Muslims on his Kenyan father’s side of the family. You say you will always be anti-Muslim. Most ‘anti’ or counter-jihad activists say they are not anti-Muslim but anti-Islam. I guess it would be similar to saying during the second world war, “I am anti-Nazi, not anti-German.” Yet Germans (many) embraced or sympathized with Nazism. Muslims embrace Islam, though I do believe there are peace-loving Muslims living in the heart of the Muslim world, though I think their numbers are few. When I am speaking with a self-professed moderate or peace-loving Muslim (mostly on the Internet) I bring up Israel and the Jews. It is the “acid” test for a peaceful Muslim.
Mr. Squat says
Arabs reject the notion of a “Jewish State”–in the name of democracy. Admirable, the love of democracy in the Muslim world. Shouldn’t Secretary Kerry ask them to abolish the Islamic nature of *their* states?
ApolloSpeaks says
IF 21ST CENTURY OBAMA COULDN’T RESET RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA
because Putin is a 19th century man and too regressive for peace then how could 21st century Israel make peace with 7th century savages?
ApolloSpeaks says
IF 21ST CENTURY OBAMA COULDN’T RESET RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA
because Putin is a 19th century man and too regressive for peace then how could 21st century Israel make peace with 7th century Moslem savages?
veggiedog says
Screw Kerry. If there was no oil in the ME would any country care?
veggiedog says
It’s not like they have anything else. They can keep their figs and dates as well. Do yourself a favor, read labels and buy nothing produced in Islamic nations, read where your levi’s were made.
Inchoate says
Poor Kerry…..trying so hard to appear polished, au courant….and constantly falling flat on his ass. [….or more politically correct, falling flat from his donkey].
There simply is no end to the bulls**t broadcast from our august Department of State looming down there in Foggy Bottom, D.C.
Gamaliel says
The modern state of Israel started out as a Jewish National Home prior to 1948. That worked out really great didn’t it. Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. Kerry is trying to pressure Israel into repeating it.
gravenimage says
More meaningless rhetoric from Kerry…
Cindy says
What does Kerry think he is trying to prove??? Why don’t they let the people of Israel decide what they want. This land was given to the Jews by God Himself, so Kerry butt out. This land belongs to the Jews!!!!!! So back off and leave them alone.