A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:
Kerry's wording
Secretary of State John Kerry “touched a diplomatic live wire last week when he predicted an apartheid situation if Israel and the Palestinians fail to agree on a two-state solution for their decades-long conflict,” ” target=”_blank”>wrote Danielle Weiner-Bronner at The Wire.
There were a series of measured responses, including Bloomberg View's Jeffrey Goldberg. “But if Kerry, following Barak’s lead, wants to warn about a possible apartheid future for Israel, I’m not going to condemn him as anti-Israel. Israeli leaders must open their minds to the possibility that he has their long-term interests at heart,” ” target=”_blank”>countered Marc Tracy at The New Republic.
What to do about Hamas?
Middle East peace talks stalled, again, “because of a reconciliation pact reached between the Palestine Liberation Organization and its rival Hamas, the Islamic militant group, Israel,” ” target=”_blank”>said Richard Cohen in The Washington Post: “Hamas is indeed the terrorist organization Israel and the United States say it is. Its opposition to the mere existence of Israel is stated not just in the usual terms of Palestinian grievance or nationalism but also by a remarkable and stupendously stupid anti-Semitism.” Others disagreed. “While it’s true Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization, the fact remains without Hamas and Fatah coming together, there can never be a Palestinian state, and thus no comprehensive peace treaty with Israel recognizing it as a Jewish state,” ” target=”_blank”>said Christopher J. Fettweis in a Los Angeles Times editorial.
