Kerry Suppors Israel’s Attacks on Hamas, Opposes Palestinian Right of Return
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Senator John Kerry (MA), appearing yesterday on NBC's "Meet the Press," explained in detail his strong support of Israel's attacks against Hamas and its leadership, and his opposition to a Palestinian "right of return" to Israel. Senator Kerry also directly addressed why former President Carter or former Secretary of State James Baker would not be good choices to serve as future Middle East envoys.
A transcript of the Israel-related section of the interview appears below.
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Senator John Kerry
Sunday, April 18, 2004
Meet the Press, NBC
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Tim Russert, moderator: Israel assassinated Hamas leader Rantisi. Do you support that assassination?
Senator John Kerry: I believe Israel has every right in the world to respond to any act of terror against it. Hamas is a terrorist, brutal organization. It has had years to make up its mind to take part in a peaceful process; and they refuse to, Arafat refuses to. And I support Israel's efforts to try to separate itself and to try to be secure. The moment Hamas says, "we've given up violence, we're prepared to negotiate," I am absolutely confident they will find an Israel that is thirsty to have that negotiation.
Tim Russert: On Thursday, President Bush broke with the tradition and policy of six predecessors when he said that Israel can keep part of the land seized in the '67 Middle East war, and asserted that Palestinian refugees cannot go back to their (inaudible) homes. Do you support President Bush?
Senator Kerry: Yes.
Tim Russert: Completely?
Senator Kerry: Yes.
Tim Russert: You also said in December that you would consider as presidential ambassadors to the Middle East President Clinton, but also former President Carter, and Secretary of State Baker. You then met with Jewish leaders and said, "I will not send Carter or Baker." Why?
Senator Kerry: I think that what I was trying to talk about, Tim, was a kind of potential for bipartisanship as to how you might be able to approach putting a special envoy in place. The names obviously need to be acceptable to everybody within the community to do that, as a matter of diplomacy. Subsequent to those names being floated, obviously some people had different views about it.
Tim Russert: Why do you think Carter and Baker are not acceptable?
Senator Kerry: Well that's not important; what's important is how to resolve the crisis -- how do you move forward. I believe there's a way to move forward; I'm convinced of that. Now I think what the President did in the last few days is to recognize a reality that even President Clinton came to: if you're going to have a Jewish state, and that is what we are committed to do and that is what Israel is, you cannot have a right of return that's open ended -- you just can't do it. It's always been a non-starter. I personally said that at a speech I gave to the Arab community in New York at the World Economic Forum. I've said that. I've also said that it is realistic because we know that at Taba they negotiated the annexation of certain territory. So it's really stating a reality.
What this administration has not done that it needs to do -- what we need is a diplomacy that is ongoing and engaged, with the Arab community, in order to help to create and help emerge the kind of entity that will provide a peaceful resolution to this. Israel has no partner -- no one to be able to negotiate with today. I think the United States and this administration could have done a much more effective job of helping that to emerge, but they were completely disengaged. I will not be disengaged, and I will have somebody involved in that at the highest level that has the respect of the community, the trust of Israel, and we will be able to move forward.
