Kerry Blames Israel for Breakdown of Peace Talks
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Win McNamee/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Secretary of State John Kerry put the blame for the collapsed Middle East peace talks on Israel during testimony Tuesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Kerry, who has been in constant contact with both the Israelis and Palestinians for months, said that Israel’s failure last week to release another group of Palestinian prisoners and the announcement of 700 Jewish homes planned for east Jerusalem sealed the doom of the already tenuous negotiations.
The two sides have never really gotten close to planning a Palestinian state that would also guarantee security for Israel from threats posed by the radical Hamas group.
In spite of the breakdown, Kerry expressed hope that the talks will resume at some point, a feeling of optimism not shared by skeptical Senate lawmakers.
Arizona Republican John McCain said it was time the administration came to grips with “reality” to face the fact that talks between the Israelis and Palestinians “are finished.”
However, Kerry claimed that both sides “want to continue to negotiate” in spite of the most recent setback.
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