“I welcome the nomination of John Kerry to the post of U.S. secretary of state. Kerry has considerable experience and is a known supporter of the security of the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
“John Kerry and I have been friends for many years. I very much appreciated the fact that six months ago, after my father passed away, he came to visit me during the week of mourning. I look forward to working together with him.”
U.S. President Barack Obama nominated Kerry on Friday, calling the veteran U.S. senator the “perfect choice” as America’s top diplomat.
The move is the first in an overhaul of Obama’s national security team heading into his second term.
As the nation’s top diplomat, Kerry, 69, will not only be tasked with executing the president’s foreign policy objectives, but will also have a hand in shaping them. The longtime lawmaker has been in lockstep with Obama on issues such as nuclear non-proliferation, but ahead of the White House in advocating aggressive policies in Libya, Egypt and elsewhere that the president later embraced.
“He is not going to need a lot of on-the-job training,” Obama said, standing alongside Kerry in a Roosevelt Room ceremony. “Few individuals know as many presidents and prime ministers or grasp our foreign policies as firmly as John Kerry.”
He is expected to win confirmation easily in the Senate, where he has served since 1985, the last six years as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.
Kerry would take the helm at the State Department from Secretary Hillary Clinton, who has long planned to leave the administration early next year. Clinton is recovering from a concussion sustained in a fall and did not attend the White House event.
In a statement, Clinton said, “John Kerry has been tested — in war, in government, and in diplomacy. Time and again, he has proven his mettle.”
Kerry has a history of pro-Israel votes in the Senate. He has maintained close relations with several officials from the Israeli leadership and has visited Israel several times. Kerry also has Jewish roots. During his candidacy for president in 2004, the Massachusetts senator revealed that his grandfather was an Austro-Hungarian Jew who changed his name before emigrating to the U.S. Additionally, Kerry’s brother, Cameron Kerry, converted to Judaism after marrying an Orthodox Jew.
However, despite his declarations over his unshakable commitment to Israel’s security, Kerry opposes Israel’s settlement policy and has criticized Israeli actions in Judea and Samaria, as well as the blockade on Gaza.
Other Israeli officials, meanwhile, also welcomed Kerry’s nomination. Outgoing Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon sent a message to the senator, saying, “I wish you success in your role, especially in light of the complex challenges we face.”
Kerry also received support from Jewish organizations in the U.S.
The National Jewish Democratic Council said, “We are ecstatic to see that President Obama has selected Senator Kerry to be the next Secretary of State. Senator Kerry’s foreign policy credentials are impeccable and he is the right person to be representing the United States on the global stage at this time.
“Senator Kerry … has been a leader when it comes to Israel and has made it abundantly clear that he — like the Obama Administration — stands squarely behind the Jewish state.”
The Anti-Defamation League issued a statement saying that “throughout his Senate career, Mr. Kerry has consistently been an effective advocate for Israel’s security in a dangerous region and demonstrated his commitment to fighting against anti-Semitism and bigotry all over the world.”
While Obama put one important piece of his revamped cabinet in place, he held off on naming a new defense secretary.
The delay came in the face of a growing backlash from critics of former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel, who is considered a leading candidate to replace Leon Panetta at the Pentagon.
Officials in Netanyahu’s office have privately voiced concern over the possibility that Hagel might take over at the Pentagon.
Some American Jewish leaders contend that Hagel, who left the Senate in 2008, at times opposed Israel’s interests, voting several times against U.S. sanctions on Iran, and made disparaging remarks about the influence of what he called a “Jewish lobby” in Washington.
Asked last week about a statement by Hagel in 2006 that the “Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people here,” Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said he would “have to answer for that comment” if he is nominated.
“And he’ll have to answer about why he thought it was a good idea to directly negotiate with Hamas and why he objected to the European Union declaring Hezbollah a terrorist organization,” said Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
A Washington Post editorial published last week said, “Mr. Hagel is an honorable man who served the country with distinction as a soldier in Vietnam and who was respected by his fellow senators. But Mr. Obama could make a better choice for defense secretary.”
Honey Bee Said:
Pease forgive me honey bee, but your comment was a bit too cryptic for me to understand…
One more time?
@ John M Collins:
Taking a chance is well and good when its not your backside on the line!!!!!!!!!!!
I may be naive in giving any US politician the benefit of the doubt, but Kerry has taken a pro-Israel stand on occsions when he did not have to and I am unrepentant in taking the stance “Wait and see”, to quote Asquith.
@ the phoenix
Everyone like a litte a–,but body likes a smart a–.
@ Dean:
And do you believe in tooth fairy too.
@ the phoenix:
Every one like a little a^^, but no body likes a smart a^^. Cowboy laughed.
@ Nigel Shaw:
How is that even relevant? Do you believe that having Jewish ancestry will make him a supporter Israel? Jew or not John Kerry is an anti-Semite!
@ John M Collins:
He is now an Obama man.
He has sold his soul to the devil.
@ Honey Bee:
Hope you like this one:
In a dark and hazy room, peering into a crystal ball, the Mystic delivered grave news:
“There’s no easy way to tell you this, so I’ll just be blunt. Prepare yourself to be a widow. Your husband will die a violent and horrible death this year.”
Visibly shaken, Laura stared at the woman’s lined face, then at the single flickering candle, then down at her hands.
She took a few deep breaths to compose herself and to stop her mind racing. She simply had to know.
She met the Fortune Teller’s gaze, steadied her voice and asked, “Will I be acquitted?”
@ John M Collins:le
Thats like saying,” let see if TB kills us, beore taking antibiotics”.
Let’s see how he does before condemning him out of hand.
@ Laura:
According to Laura- Everyone sucks.
@ Jackie Bourg:
You are an ignorant fool Ms. Bourg!
@ C.R.:
The ADL exist to raise donation to pay themselves. Weak sister one and all.
@ Mickey Oberman:
and he smells like a dead fish too.
Correction: Cameron Kerry converted to Judaism BEFORE marrying Kathy Weinman.
Not only were Kerry’s paternal grandparents Jewish, but his brother Cameron converted to Judaism after marrying an orthodox Jewish lady.
@ Laura:
Laura Said:
Laura, he might be. I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but i recently came across some that talk exactly like Nazis when they refer to Israel.
@ Laura:
Lol–I misspelled it! 😛
@ C.R.:
I said a crock. The article praising Kerry is a crock.
Clearly bahmi is pretending to be a Jew in order to promote antisemitic canards about Jewish control of the government and everything else.
@ Laura:
A crock of what? Haha Yes he does suck–and this is why he was chosen!
This is a crock. John Kerry sucks.
From what I have read about John Kerry he is like a herring out of water – flipping and flopping in all directions.
@ bahmi:
bahmi Said:
That bloody Jewish Lobby that rules the word through its puppeteers in the US administration, eh bahmi?
Sorry, i have not introduced myself: i am a non-Jewish recently recruited agent of said Lobby – they insist on the capital “L” and i have got used to it, what else can you expect from people who think they are the chosen ones, eh?
I have been hired as an operative in the hasbara department, my job description being the dissemination of false information for the purpose of the ongoing Jewish propaganda war against truth – really treacherous those Jews, eh?
I felt like talking to you because you seem to harbor the same resentment against them as i do. In my case, it is their inconsistency in paying my salary that makes me dislike them – Jews are not only powerful, they are greedy, too, as i am sure you know, eh?
What’s your story, bahmi? Why do you hate them, eh?
Sorry, i got to go.
My handler is calling me – no doubt, he has just come up with one of his conspiracy plans, as usual, eh?
@ C.R.:
Just because you said such a dumb thing,…or are you hiding the fact…that Kerry strongly support
a Two-Way country in the Holy Land. STOP pulling the wool over the people’s eyes.
His wife is Jewish…Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay…. just like my dog.
STOP ACTING LIKE A DUMMY AND REMOVE MY NAME FROM YOUR LIST.
It is in keeping with the ADL to promote lies.
The ADL is a sociopathic hated filled organization–and nothing in their statement is true.
@ Nigel Shaw:
Jewish history is replete with Jewish traitors against their own people–and most importantly against God.
Barack Hussein Obama has wholeheartedly proven he hates Israel.
John Kerry, much like Hillary Clinton is mentally ill–don’t expect anything good from him–and don’t forget–the secretary carries out the will of the president.
Bibi Netanyahu is ass kissing Barack Obama yet again–I guess he likes the smell and taste.
John Kerry was chosen–precisely because he is not a supporter of Israel–John Kerry hates Israel–and he like Hilary Clinton will promote the insanity and hatred of Barack Obama and of his hate filled sociopathic administration!
@ Sam Goldblatt:
Kerry like his wife are both mentally ill Marxists!
@ bahmi:
“We OWN the Congress, WH, AND POLITICAL PROCESS”?? ???Hmmmm. Please explain.
Kerry’s paternal grandparents were Fritz Kohn and Ida Lowe from Silesia in the then Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Although they converted to Catholicism in the early 20th Century, changing their name to Kerry, it still means that his father, Richard was halachically Jewish.
His great-aunt and great-uncle (his grandmother Ida’s brother and sister) were murdered in the concentration camps, which may make Kerry more sympathetic towards Israel, since he found out about his heritage a few years ago.
A politician cannot, always, vote in one particular direction. Kerry is one of us, as his roots indicate. He will be our ally when the going gets tough, you can count on that. We own the Congress, the White House, we own the US political process, what more do we want, eh?
I hope that Israel takes this opportunity with the new personnel change to reset the relationship and to let the incoming Secretary of State know that there are real problems that need his attention throughout the world and to leave Israel alone. The US needs to end its pressure on Israel to engage in a warped peace process that requires land and a vow for official suicide from Israel but nothing from Arabs except agreement from them to take all the weapons and money they can get from the West. Kerry needs to insist that Arabs officially and collectively end their war with Israel with real commitments. Kerry should concentrate on taking Egypt and North Africa back from Al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood, stop Iran from getting nukes, secure chemical stockpiles in Syria, end US financial and moral backing to the UN, Hamas and the PA, and name the primary enemy to freedom as Islamism which must be battled using military AND other means at home and abroad. If Kerry needs some help then perhaps Israel can offer him some suggestions and training based on their extensive experience.
Kerry has met with reps from Hamas and has had cordial relations with Assad of Syria. As such he is no friend of Israel.
Kerry’s better half, the South African raised Teresa Heinz Kerry is worth over half a billion dollars. Her main charitable cause is Saving The Whales.
More on John Kerry here:
http://israelmatzav.blogspot.ca/2012/12/obama-nominates-kerry-njdc-finds-tongue.html#links