Now, what will State Department say about that?

Bogie saying "Boo" to Kerry

A few days ago a noisy scandal (courtesy of Moshe "Bogie" Ya'alon, our defense minister) has shaken the high windows of Israel and reverberated in the much higher windows of State Department. I can't forgo the pleasure of quoting some of it:

"Abu Mazen (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) is alive and well thanks to us," Ya'alon said. "The moment we leave Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) he is finished. In reality, there have been no negotiations between us and the Palestinians for all these months – but rather between us and the Americans. The only thing that can 'save us' is for John Kerry to win a Nobel Prize and leave us in peace."

And:

American Secretary of State John Kerry, who turned up here determined and acting out of misplaced obsession and messianic fervor, cannot teach me anything about the conflict with the Palestinians.

Now for the other side:

To question Secretary Kerry’s motives and distort his proposals is not something we would expect from the defense minister of a close ally,” White House Spokesman Jay Carney said Tuesday, echoing comments earlier in the day from State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki.

Nothing like a little spat to strengthen the ties between buddies, is it?

Tibi saying "Boo" to Kerry

Now there is another Israeli political figure: deputy Speaker of the Israeli Knesset and the best buddy and close political adviser of the late Yasser Arafat (sic! only in Israel...) Ahmad Tibi. Recently Mr Tibi was interviewed (by the army radio) about an idea that was supposedly put on the negotiating table by Mr Kerry. The idea is to create a bridge that could possibly close the gap between the uncompromising positions of the negotiating parties re the fate of Jordan valley. Israel considers its military control of the valley to be vital for the security of the country, Palestinians don't want to hear about Israel having such control. Kerry allegedly offered that US lease the valley from Palestinians for a period of time, subleasing it in turn to Israel.

"It is a stupid idea of Mr Kerry," responded Tibi, "and Palestinians will never agree to it". Adding happily: "It shows a total lack of understanding of the Middle East problems by the Americans".*

I am eagerly awaiting the moment when the wrath of State Department will descend on another Israeli politician...

 (The interview is not translated here verbatim, unfortunately, but close enough)