According to Haaretz, U.S. draft agreement omits Palestinian right of return and makes no mention of Jerusalem being capital of future Palestinian state. Ted Belman
In special interview, Kerry says Iran must stop its support of terror, both in Syria and in Lebanon via Hezbollah. Also comments on peace process giving rare details regarding ‘framework agreement’
YNET NEWS
In an exclusive interview to al-Arabiya, US Sectary of State John Kerry commented on Syria, Iran and the peace process, during which he slammed Iran for supporting terror and promised the military option still on the table should Iran backtrack from the Geneva deal.
John Kerry (Photo: AP)
Syira was the main focus of the interview, but Israeli-Palestinian peace talks were not forgotten, and thus, despite his best efforts, Kerry revealed some details on the secretive talks being conducted.
After being asked what he meant by a ‘framework’ agreement between the Palestinians and Israelis, Kerry responded: “The framework agreement would be the best thinking of both parties as to what an end game of a peace agreement could look like, and what they would agree to as a matter of principles as to how they would negotiate towards that end game final status agreement.”
Elaborating, Kerry said such an agreement “could help create a guideline if you will – a road map – that doesn’t take you to an interim agreement but to a final status agreement, where you have an end of conflict, end of claims, there is a Palestinian state, there is an end of the occupation, security for Israel is clear and people can see the future.”
When asked about that rumors that such a deal would be presented within a month, Kerry said “I’m not sure when it will be. We are still negotiating. We are working in good faith, the leaders have been very very committed to this process. My hope is that we can achieve a framework for final status negotiations.”
Asked about his motivation to reach make peace in the Mideast, Kerry said: “Every where I go in the world almost the first thing people say is ‘what can you do about making peace between Israel and the Palestine.’ It has confounded people for ages.
“If we don’t succeed in making peace the risks for everyone is greater, the risk of confrontation, the risk of violence, the risk of continued conflict in another generation, Israelis threatened from rocket that come from Gaza, these are things we are unwilling to live with.”
Iran ‘state sponsor of terror’
Regarding Iran, Kerry said “What Iran needs to do is show more than words, but its actions must show it is willing to join the international community. Iran has (Revolutionary Guard) personnel on the ground in Syria conducting military affairs on the ground.
“Iran is the principle supporter of its client terrorist organization calledHezbollah , Hezbollah is not just in Lebanon. Hezbollah is the principle difference the fighting taking place on the ground in Syria.”
According to al-Arabiya, Gulf States are concerned by Iranian ambitions and proxy clients, from Hezbollah to Yemen. Kerry responded that “Iran is a state sponsor of terrorist, Iran is the sponsor of Hezbollah, we do not agree with that nor do our friends but you have to take one step at a time, this is diplomacy.”
Kerry was asked if the US would ask Iran to stop arming Hezbollah? “Absolutely, we believe they should stop supporting Hezbollah, Hezbollah is a terrorist organization and they should not support terrorism in the region.”
When asked about the US’s dramatic shift in its relations with Iran and the effect it could have an US allies who now feel abandoned, Kerry said “We are extremely diligent to working with friends in the region, I have just made my 13th or 14th visit to the region,” Kerry said, saying he visited Israel, Jordan and Gulf states to keep the parties updated.
“We are talking with Iran about a nuclear program, that’s all. We’re trying to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon which would change the balance of power in the region. This is in the interest of our friends. I know the (Gulf States) Egypt and Turkey are safer today then they were before we made the agreement.”
Should Iran backtrack on its commitments, “then the military option that is available the the US is ready and prepared to do what it would have to do. So I don’t think that is a wise choice for Iran. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. We will not make a bad deal, a bad deal is worst than no deal.”
@ Bear Klein:
I agree with you regarding the Iron Dome. It has been very effective. Of coarse the Iron Dome alone will not protect Israel. That’s why there is the IDF.
Bear Klein Said:
Phoney Bears? http://youtu.be/KcvfzBpeNrI
@ yamit82:
Calm down friend! We are on the same side. We are discussing an issue. I am for victory and destroying the enemy also but we should not fail to save lives also. Apparently you do not like the iron dome. Your opinion and you are entitled to it.
I prefer to have my posterior saved by it if it comes to that though. I also have worn body Armour in combat situations (granted a while ago). Does not mean that I was opposed to laying down fire to destroy the enemy.
@ Bear Klein:
Let’s hope your right!!
yamit82 Said:
No missiles as of now,but the is very dangerous. Bush and Obama both failed to act to protect the border states and/or the USA entire.
@ Bear Klein:
Your argument is populist clap trap and totally specious on it’s foundations. Israel has possibly the 4th or 5th strongest military in the world. That a few hundred or thousand terrorists can attack a sovereign nation with near impunity is insulting. Give the order to the IDF and in hours Gaza is a large parking lot. Hamas and their leadership eliminated as a functional threat, not for a year or two but permanently at least in Gaza. Firing intentionally-missiles and mortars against a civilian town city or neighborhood from outside our recognized international borders is A- an act of war and B- a war crime under international law. however Israel would act to extinguish and punish those criminals is legal and mandated by any responsible government.
Iron dome and similar weapons are defensive but will not reduce the threats against us bu an Iota. It gives the government an excuse for inaction and the public a false sense of security as the effective real kill rate of the system is less than 50%
If terrorists attacked America from across the border south or north would America allow thousands of missiles to rain on them relying on defensive systems.
The Israeli political quandary has boiled down to: We can’t stop or defeat the Hamas or Hezbollah only by use of air power and boots on the ground will result in many IDF casualties; and our politicians are afraid of the public’s reaction due to casualties so they protect the IDF and sacrifice the civilians who the IDF is supposed to protect.
We have reached the absurd where the civilians of Israel are required to protect the military and not as normal the other way around.
Bear Klein Said:
Sounds more like a divorce then a marriage.
@ dove:
I am not for PA state of any size. I am with Bennett on most of the points he makes.
I do not think these negotiations have any legs.
The blame game is in full swing by both sides trying to blame the other side for not being reasonable.
@ yamit82:
Sorry but I always like when I hear criticism of the cost of an Iron Dome Missile. What is the cost of building it prevented from blowing up or the lives of the people it saves. The cost of rebuilding the lives on injured. Does it cost too much if your family or friend is saved? So basically it is very cheap and a worthwhile enterprise.
Is it a whole military strategy no not by any stretch of the imagination. You certainly need various offensive capabilities that also make it difficult and dangerous for the enemies to try and shoot their missiles. You also need to destroy the enemies infrastructure and do severe damage to them.
@ yamit82:
I understand this, cerebrally. But, all news point to “business as usual”, nobody is terribly upset… You know… La vie est belle!
Shmuel halevi’s signature comments are to ‘get rid of the combina’ . I believe he is 1000% right but it is easier said than done…
It does seem that the entire system is kind of rotten to the core. And no structure would be safe were it to be built/rebuilt while this ‘foundation’ is still there….
It is SICKENING to see Peres very much alive and well at 90 years of age, while young ones become ‘ victims of peace’…..
‘Ad matai???
@ the phoenix:
There has not been a single day that the situation of Israel since well before 1948 that the situation has not been precarious. While I am always optimistic re: our future there will be many large bumps along the way. How we deal with those bumps is what concerns me.
A little truth and straight talk is my way of letting anyone who reads my comments that while in many ways things have never been better for us there are a lot of potential dangers and what I do is to voice both the positive and the negative.
The six day war was fought from the mindset frame of the Holocaust. Every Israeli saw us in that context before the war. In Tel Aviv they dug 30,000 ready graves in expectation. But in the Yom kippur war the Israel frame of reference and mindset was in the context of the 6 days war.
Israel psychologically has yet to recover from the shock, depression and distrust of our political leaders till today even though militarily our victory in 73′ was far greater than in 67 militarily. We almost lost the country in 73 because of our own folly and a lot of hubris and stupidity. I have learned long ago to always respect enemies.
Arab leaders have NEVER been concerned about the opinion of their people. That is why the vast majority is ignorant, poor, illiterate and just good to be used as shield against opponents.
“Apartheid” is a fundamental Islamist value.
@ bernard ross:
UPDATE : Netanyahu: Settlers Will Be Able to Choose Palestinian Citizenship
An official in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told AP Sunday that all Jewish settlers should have the right to remain in their homes in a future Palestinian State. Since the Oslo Accords of 1993, the common assumption has been that those Jewish settlers who find themselves on the wrong side of the new green line under the peace deal would be uprooted. Indeed, when Israeli unilaterally left the Gaza Strip, some 8500 Jewish settlers were not offered the option to stay under what, back then, was still a PLO government. But Netanyahu now appears to believe, according to his official, that there is no reason for a future Palestinian state to be “ethnically cleansed” of its Jews, the official said. During his stay in Davos, Switzerland over the weekend, Netanyahu told reporters at the World Economic Forum that he was not going to uproot any Israelis as part of the peace agreement. Netanyahu has committed last year to keeping a settlement “blocs,” where the vast majority of the estimated 500,000 settlers live, as part of any 2-state deal. The Palestinians, apparently, have been planning to accept this as part of the final deal, in exchange to land swaps with Israel – although this part will prove difficult to carry out, as no Israeli Arab is prepared for his town or village to be handed over to the PA. It is estimated that at least 100 thousand Jews live outside of the settlement blocs, include two major clusters: Karnei Shomron, Ginot Shomron, and several other bedroom communities near Tel Aviv; and Beit El near Ramallah. Until today, it was unclear where they would go. Even if they did not resist deportation—which is highly unlikely—the cost of offering them fair market value and resettling them inside Israel would be staggering, certainly beyond the ability of the Israeli economy and, these days, beyond what the U.S. and the EU might be able or willing to contribute. Which may explain why the Israeli official on Sunday told the AP that Netanyahu believes there is no reason to uproot settlers against their will. “The prime minister believes that in peace, just as Israel has an Arab minority, there is no logical reason why the Palestinian state could not contain a Jewish minority and that Jews living in Judea and Samaria would be given the option to stay,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “It should not be accepted a priori that in peace the Palestinian state must be ethnically cleansed.” Jewish Home Chairman Naftali Bennett on Sunday condemned the message coming out of the prime minister’s office, saying they were born by confused values. Bennett said the Jewish people has not endured 2000 years of yearning for Eretz Israel to live here under the rule of Abu Mazen (PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s nom de guerre). Bennett told Israel Radio that anyone who even considers Jews living under Palestinian rule in Eretz Israel is pulling the rug from under our living in Tel Aviv as well.
@ Bear Klein:
Iron Dome is a white elephant a costly toy that will prove disastrous for us in the next major conflict.. Hamas figured out how to beat the dome by firing large salvos insuring many hits. Israel should never place our security and decision making on such systems. It too easy to defeat it and far too costly to build it and maintain it.. We can’t even sell them to third parties because the Americans veto such sales. Along with the financial aid for the Iron Dome we had to give them our patents even though the technology is 100% made in Israel. Stupid Jews!!! Each counter Iron Dome missile costs over $10,000 not including necessary infrastructure. Hamas fired 1400 rockets at Israel in 3 weeks reaching Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, what if they fire 10-20 or 30,000rockets and missiles at Israel in shorter period of time and what if 20-30% hit real targets?
Saddam fired 39 Scuds at Israel and we lost 10,000 structures and billions in Damages. Unlike in the past major loss of life should be expected especially if some of the missiles contain chemical and bio warheads.
I am not painting a Hysterical picture but a realistic one based on what I know to be true. Israel hasn’t won a war since 1973. Winning is an unkown concept in the IDF and all use of the military is designed to give our politicians points of advantage so as to enter into negotiated ceasefires.
Most of our senior career chocolate soldiers besides having no command experience in war are no better than political “Stepin Fetchit’s”, so I am worried but not hysterically so.
Depending on your POV we should dismantle most of the IDF and just build iron Domes. Why should we have a military with up to a half million regulars and reservists if we got an iron Dome?
bernard ross Said:
UPDATE
Just as I suspected!
the phoenix Said:
Hasn’t that always been the case for the Jewish people. L;chaim
@ yamit82:
In 2006 there was no Iron Dome. They do have more rockets but we have more counters, including offensive. One thing the IDF and government are better equipped than with the losers Olmert and Halutz are not at the Helm.
Problems yes and serious but not insurmontable.
@ yamit82:
Dear yamit,
In previous posts I was voicing my concerns about Israel’s security, where it is and where it is headed.
In reply, you have posted two videos about Israel, being the miracle that it is (agreed without the shadow of a doubt! …. 🙂 ) and you wrote that there is no need for negativism and defeatism. (That was more or less the exchange. As I told the phantom of the library, words are not exactly my forte, but I know you would get the gist of what I am saying)
So now, I just voice my concern once more. Not to challenge you, yamit, nor to ring a negative tone..
Am I to understand that, yes, the situation is precarious, but in spite of what it seems to be, we will overcome nonetheless, AND ‘the big boss’ is watching,over us?
@ Bear Klein:
Not acceptable. Those weasles will just keep chiseling until they have a stronger foot in the door. Just try it Kerry. I’ll be standing on the border with my stilettos ready to crush any foot that tries to get in the door!
@ Bear Klein:
Remember Mama Bear and the Wolves!!!!! Something to said for stand your ground.
Bear Klein Said:
Situation is even worse and even more dangerous than in 2006. 4100 missiles emptied the population of most of the north for a month. They have since upgraded their capabilities in terms of numbers range and accuracy of their missiles. They have hundreds of missiles with the reach of almost all of Israel from Lebanon. How much of Assad’s chemical and bio weapons were transferred by Assad to Hezbollah is anybodies guess but some were transferred.
@ yamit82:
This 2006 video by Barry Chamish is off base and not valid accept for hysterical purposes.
yamit82 Said:
I agree with this
The US in retreat has no credibility left. Weak inside and weak outside. This administration is bound to weaken the country further for internal reasons. The communists were a human catastrophe wherever they developed and the social democracies have given up any pretense to self-defense and they cannot count anymore on the US. The future of the West is in peril.
@ bernard ross:
The saudis and the gulf states have kept the Jihadis off their back by buying them off just like Bin Ladn. They have always been the primary funder and transmitter of the most nutty and virulent strain of Islam (Wahhabism). As long as the GCC allows them to do to others what they do and finances them and it protects them. What makes the Shia more dangerous is the end times eschatological World view. They may hate each other but will if it’s in their interests work together even if it’s short term and temporary. The saudis are not concerned Iran will attack them but under the cover of Nukes support the Shia tribes sitting on Saudi lands where the most productive oil fields are.
There is no way despite hints by BB the the Saudis just because of Iran will move closer to Israel. If they have it’s tactical not strategic. If BB does not come through what ever understandings that may have been reached will revert.
yamit82 Said:
I am not against that approach, I do it myself to get different perspectives. I was talking about Chamish scenario of Israel being finished in about 4 days.
On the Obama, GCC, Israel “deals”: if there were no deals then all those jihadis would have already been turned on Israel upon arrival to Syria and Sinai. Not to say that it might not still happen but if so that would be because the GCC decided to accommodate with Iran. I do not beleive the Syrian situation came from any sponaneous revolution. it was planned and has a purpose and the US, Turkey, the GCC and Israel have been involved in my view; each with their own expected “return”. My question is: did obama do a 180 degree switch mid stream dumping the GCC, or is that a drama? That is, I believe, the question which answers the questions regarding Israel. if Obama really did a 180 degree switch then I would expect everything else to also change, everyone jockeying to pick up their pieces and realign their positions(which is how it is appearing right now, but I am not yet convinced)
yamit82 Said:
that was back in 2007 or 8 so it must be worse now with Jihadis in sinai and syria. chamish appeared to be telling those with the missiles how they could do it. Does Israel have a plan to deal with the rocket threat? Why does Israel always use planes rather than rockets or missiles, it seems more expensive?
yamit82 Said:
It is coming out from under wraps because of benghazi. It is dangerous domestically for Obama to be caught, as he has been, supplying arms to Al Qaeda. I see it as a possible distancing to get further from any connection to Jihadis. the connection can be devastating to Dem success in the mid term and 2016. He has so far stealthily avoided being brought to account on arming and trainiing AQ. certainly I have always said that the sunnis can at any time turn on Israel and must be carefully watched. However, I do belive, and even BB has intimated, that their are “understandings” between the arabs and israel. Unless these understanding have gone bad I wonder about the timing. You said that you thought it was political, the chamish considerations were brought up years ago and are not news.
yamit82 Said:
I beleive this idea is part of a red herring to recently make it look like Saudi is a moderate and is not allied with the Jihadis and is in competition with Qatar. I just sent an article where qatar instructed their jihadis to follow the saudi jihadis in the coalition. Bandar told Putin that he can control the terrorists for sochi, according to some sources. I agree that it is a political message but why threaten to, indirectly, back Assad?
bernard ross Said:
Of course I believe him I was here. It showed the acute weakness and vulnerability of Israel both internally and externally. How much has been corrected since I can’t say but I will say not enough has been corrected. Forget chamish for the moment when I post his stuff it’s because I believe what I post has credibility. The other stuff I never go into neither do I support or promote. I even post anti Israel sources when I believe some of their information has credibility. I filter and cherry-pick but do not promote the sources only what I consider are truthful facts.
bernard ross Said:
I have posted Chamish clip Attack on Israel to show that the danger from the north and South is every bit the existential threat to Israel as a Nuke of two from Iran maybe even greater. As long as an even degraded Assad still has control of some 60,000 misssiles and under the control and influence of Iran he is still a serious threat combined with the 40-50000 missiles held by Hezbollah and Hamas. The clip may or may not be an exaggeration but the general threat is real.
Hezbollah has had losses but not critical losses and losses of fighters can be replaced they are expendable. As long as Assad survives so does Hezbollah. We have Hezbollah on our northern Lebanon border but till now not on our Syrian one…If the Jihadist partially supported by the Saudis gain control of areas on our Syrian border then it’s potentially worse for us than having just Assad. They could establish fire base positions much like Hamas in Gaza. So we would be facing threat from both Shia in Lebanon and Sunni in Syria, Gaza and Sinai. Apparently Jordan is as concerned as Israel and they got a million refugees from both Syria and Iraq many will potentially be co-opted into terrorist groups, a vast reservoir of fighters. If there is one thing that unites Sunni and Shia militants it’s the little Satan and they have cooperated and joined forces in the past against us. Don’t discount that eventuality. While Israel was content to sit on the sidelines as long as they were kiling each other in the north the GCC militants have gained a serious foothold of our Syran border. That’s a major concern.
I have never bought into your theory of the quite understanding between the GCC and Obama. No reason to keep such cooperation under wraps. Obama is on record of wanting Assad out and support for the MB. The very Jihadists the GCC are supporting are potentially more dangerous to the GCC states than is the Iranians.
This situation cannot be controlled for long and is bound to blow up in somebodies face with dire consequences. The Jihadists have killed more of each other than against Assad’s forces. They are no more than disorganized rabble.
yamit82 Said:
do you agree with chamish on this?
BTW, I listened to part of an interview with chamish about the sabbatean and franks conspiracy. Where does all this come from ? It sounds way out and he seems to support the jewish conspiracy theories. He seems to accuse every famous Jew of being part of this conspiracy. When I listen to chamish it sounds like the jews are nuts and the best thing is to keep away from them.
yamit82 Said:
I agree it is political. The question is why threaten the sunni jihadis if Israel sees the Iran axis as the greater enemy? One thought is that Obama may still be working closely under the table with the GCC, one of my suspicions in general. It makes no sense for Israel to threaten the Jihadis unless by doing so he warns Obama that Israel can mess up their plans for Syria. By itself it makes no sense because the Jihadis have degraded hezbullah and Assad and have demonstrated and stated that , so far, they are no threat to Israel. If understandings between players are reneged upon then like any deal all bets come off the table. The global jihadis will have to be refocused after Syria: if the deal continues they should continue against hezbullah, lebanon and Iraq rather than Israel. If not the others then Israel can become their focus again especially if the GCC and Israel do not agree.
bernard ross Said:
In Davos when he made that statement he made it only in Hebrew for domestic consumption not in English .
@ bernard ross:
Israel in Trouble: by Barry Chamish
Barry Chamish – Attack on Israel
bernard ross Said:
The announcement is political and not aimed at the Israeli public.
The official is most definatly ya’alon or head of military Intelligence. Israel was left out of the Geneva 2 conference and it could signal that we are a key player and cannot be ignored. That what ever is decided must take Israel’s interests into account…. Looking at it from another angle it is a direct warning to Kerry and Obama that whatever is decided, we can blow it out of the water and the 30,000 reasons have just been stated.
Assad could through use of any group aligned with him and even Syrian soldiers posing as Jihadist fighters prompt Israel into attacking forces aligned against Assad thereby using Israel to eliminate or at least diminish and degrade the threat from those forces against him and his regime
The announcement is clearly political. A message was sent the question is to whom was it sent to and why?
a strange and unwise announcement. Israel has done well with its current policy and the GCC Jihadis so far have clearly stayed away from hostilities with Israel. I believe this is intentional. Therefore I must wonder as to what is the efficacy of this announcement right now which brings nothing in return. Nothing has appeared to have changed in the posture of the sunni Jihadis.
Livni “echoes” Kerry like a lapdog: the foreign opportunist agent representing the US!
@ bernard ross:
No Kerry wanted the IDF to leave. Ya’alon and Bibi say they are not going anywhere.
Abbas is not negotiating any more. The negotiations are basically over except for the timeline.
Bibi wanted status quo and that is what there is status quo.
BB’s trick??? The Idf is planned to stay for 5-10 years; the settlers will be given the choice during that period to voluntarily leave or to take pal citizenship. technically BB can say he will not evict them and get votes on that basis. something like the E1 trick and the Levy report trick.
astounding meddling by US shows that Yaalons criticisms were too kind. I never heard of any gov allowing contact between its military leaders and foreign govs. The Obama/Kerry/clinton insults to Israel are over the top.
The Palestinian framework, as Kerry defines it, would be very simple- we get everything we want without any compromise, and Israel surrenders.
Ynet reports the following, ‘Palestinian sovereignty, 1967 borders shredded to pieces’
Peace talks-privy PLO official Yasser Abed Rabbo says US peace plan includes allowing Israel to freely operate in Palestinian territory, small Jerusalem suburb would be symbolic Palestinian capital