Kerry Tries Damage Control following Maelstrom of Criticism

Reeling from intense criticism of his handling of efforts to forge an Israel-Hamas cease fire from an unusually broad array of players, US Secretary of State John Kerry tried on Monday to clarify his approach and temper the disparagement. Both Israeli and Palestinian officials were angered over what they perceived as Kerry’s embrace of the “other side” – Qatar, Turkey and Hamas – rather than the home team: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestinian Authority and Israel, in his proposal presented on Friday night. In Israel, the political right and left wings shared a rare moment of commonality as both severely criticized Kerry for omitting virtually any reference to Israel’s positions in his proposal. One revered pundit called the Kerry proposal “strategic terrorism.” Arriving back in Washington on Sunday, the SecState explained to reporters that his strategy is to begin with a humanitarian ceasefire that will roll-over into a long term period of calm. In an obvious attempt to quell the tempest in Israel, Kerry said that, “any process to resolve the crisis in Gaza in a lasting and meaningful way must lead to the disarmament of Hamas and all terrorist groups." He attempted to reference the Egyptian proposal which was at the center of the maelstrom when he touted the Hamas version instead of the Cairo document.