Ex-Israeli envoy to US: Clearly, Kerry was not invited for ceasefire talks

[azurnoir]

The White House said Kerry would seek “an immediate cessation of hostilities based on a return to the November 2012 ceasefire agreement,” and stressed the need to protect civilian life both “in Gaza and in Israel.”

In comments to Channel 2 on Monday afternoon, Oren cited the Obama administration’s strained relations with Egypt, and the “tension” in ties between the US and Israel. To Israel’s chagrin, he said, America has consequently not been able to play a more constructive role in this crisis, whereas previous administrations had been able to do so in past crises. He commented on the way the Administration handled the Arab spring, the blame it placed on Israel for the failure of the peace process, and the US’s strained ties with Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.

Oren said Kerry and the Obama administration have close ties with Qatar and Turkey, “who are not on the best terms with Egypt right now.”

Oren emphasized that Kerry, who made things worse with a live-microphone slip Sunday criticizing the scope of Israel’s operation, was coming to the region even though that hot-mic incident showed he had “not been invited.”

http://www.timesofisrael.com/former-envoy-to-us-says-kerry-wasnt-invited-to-region/#ixzz388OnSWCJ

[bemildred]

1. Hmmmm. Things are getting byzantine. Can't think of a better word for it. nt

[Jefferson23]

2. Kerry indicated his humanity on the subject in that off mic moment...sounds like that pissed off

more than just Bibi.

[bemildred]

3. People who want to control what other people think get like that.

They want to control everything, no cracks in the image allowed.

Kerry sounds naive.

[Jefferson23]

4. Naive in making the comment off mic..or that Israel would reject his involvement due

to all the bad relations with his peace initiative?

[bemildred]

5. Naive about who he is dealing with and what is happening and what to expect.

Anybody who buys talk about pinpoint attacks, especially bombing, is a goober in my opinion.

[Jefferson23]

6. Ah ok..I thought his comments were in effect mocking those points..I misunderstood then. n/t

[bemildred]

7. It was sarcasm for sure.

But it also indicates he that expected better, whereas anybody who has watched a few of these closely knows this is what happens. And on top of that he was in Vietnam, so he knows about bombs quite well. The other interpretation is he is complicit and nervous about it, but I think he is sincere.

[mylye2222]

9. Exact. You nailed it.

Its seems forbiden for a pol tho show he's an human beeing, after all...

[LeftishBrit]

8. Oren has never been much of a diplomat, and he doesn't seem to have improved

Whatever Kerry did or didn't do, one of the first rules of any country's diplomacy is 'don't bite the hand that feeds you', which in Israel's case is America.

How would Oren know whether Kerry was invited or not?

[bemildred]

10. You know, I'm just beginning to appreciate the full peversity of this situation.

The IDF is not really even bombing Hamas, Hamas is down in the tunnels. They can't be bombed.