Israel Matzav

Outrage at Kerry comments on Marmara and Boston gaining steam

There's starting to be some pushback against US Secretary of State John FN Kerry's outrageous comments comparing the Boston Marathon terror attack victims to the terrorists of the Mavi Marmara. This is from the Republican Jewish Coalition.

RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said, “Secretary Kerry should retract these remarks as soon as possible. It’s unconscionable to compare the loss of life resulting from an act of self-defense to the results of cold-blooded, premeditated murder by terrorists.”

Brooks added, “We understand that Secretary Kerry has reason to be deeply worried by the disappointing results to date from the President’s push to end the rift between Israel and Turkey. But he needs to correct the record so that our allies and critics around the world don’t get the idea that the world’s most powerful democracy has lost its moral bearings.”

The problem is that the story is being ignored by the mainstream media. Well, now the JPost has picked it up. 

David Gebler, Associate Vice President of the National Council of Young Israel and a former president of the Young Israel of Sharon, Massachusetts, took particular offense at the Secretary of State's remarks.

"As a resident of Massachusetts and a former constituent of Senator Kerry, I was deeply troubled by the Secretary of State's comments," said Gebler.  "Massachusetts residents, as well as all Americans, watched in horror as the tranquility of Boston and its suburbs was shattered by the deadly bombings that claimed the lives of several innocent victims and caused serious injuries to countless others.  We experienced a sense of profound grief and acute anxiety as the perpetrators of this senseless act of violence brought the city of Boston to a virtual standstill as this terrifying drama unfolded. The National Council of Young Israel strenuously objects to the implied moral equivalence conveyed by Secretary of State Kerry regarding the terrorist act in Boston and a legitimate defensive measure carried out by the Israel Defense Forces on the Mavi Marmara."

Shmuel Rosner doesn't think Israel is going to make a big deal out of Kerry's remarks. 

In case you are wondering, Israel isn’t going to make a big fuss about this. Clearly, Kerry didn’t mean much – he was just talking without realizing how dumb and unfounded this comparison is. And besides, we are in the midst of an era of good feelings following the reset of the Obama-Israel relations, and no one wants to ruin the good atmosphere over the Kerry comments.

I have my doubts that Kerry was 'just talking without realizing how dumb and unfounded this comparison is. After all, this is the guy who hung out with Hanoi Jane 45 years ago. And Kerry's comments weren't a whole lot different from those of Richard Falk's so they should be answered.

I suspect that the government of Israel won't make a big deal out of these comments. But some members of the House and Senate Foreign Relations Committees might, and if that can get them into the mainstream media, there might be some points to be scored.

Labels: Boston, Boston Marathon, IHH, Islamic terrorism, John Kerry, Mavi Marmara

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:58 PM