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The president’s top diplomat, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stepped into a political minefield when he made reference that Israel was descending into an “apartheid state” if it did not seek a peace deal with Palestinians.      

Today, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had to walk back his statement, which was first reported by the Daily Beast, setting off a political firestorm, with many calling for his resignation.

Kerry responded, “I have been around long enough to also know the power of words to create a misimpression, even when unintentional, and if I could rewind the tape, I would have chosen a different word to describe my firm belief that the only way in the long term to have a Jewish state and two nations and two peoples living side by side in peace and security is through a two state solution,”

Republicans jumped on this lack of civility by Kerry with Sen. Cruz of Texas, “Secretary Kerry has proven himself unsuitable for the position he holds,” Cruz said. “John Kerry should offer President Obama his resignation.”

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) stated Kerry apologize to Israel. “Reports that Secretary Kerry has suggested Israel is becoming an apartheid state are extremely disappointing. The use of the word apartheid has routinely been dismissed as both offensive and inaccurate, and Secretary Kerry’s use of it makes peace even harder to achieve,” Cantor said.

Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer, commented on Monday, “If there is one minority in the Middle East that enjoys the rule of law, and protection, and democracy it is Arabs in Israel. One out of every five Israelis is a Palestinian, overwhelming they are Muslim. There are Arabs in the government, in the Supreme Court, in all walks of life, in the universities.”

Continuing, “There’s actually affirmative action if you are a Palestinian in the universities. And to compare that in any way with the systematic discrimination against black Africans in South Africa is truly appalling and hurtful.”

This continues the pattern of this administration, this is not the first time the Kerry has made gaffs when speaking.  One only has to look back during the height of the Syrian crisis last September, when Kerry made an offhanded comment that Russia jumped on.  This boxed the administration into a corner and had to accept the outcome.

This goes back to earlier articles I have written in which U.S. foreign policy is crumbling around the administration, and the sad part is they do not even know it.

The president has surrounded himself with political operatives instead of foreign policy professionals.  It now time to bring in the grownups, but that will have to wait until the next presidential election. 

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