by Prof. Abraham Ben-Zvi
Democratic Senator John
Kerry is not going to have any problems filling the shoes of his
predecessors in his new capacity as secretary of state. As the chairman
of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, he has gained expert
knowledge on the U.S.'s ties with other countries, making him a natural
for the job.
Kerry will be ready
from the first day, almost to the point that he could forgo all the
briefings and preparations that are designed to help a new secretary of
state settle in to the office on the seventh floor of the State
Department. Kerry's confirmation by the Senate floor, and before that by
the committee he heads, is virtually a done deal.
While Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu's government might prefer another successor to
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, it is quite evident from Kerry's
voting record that he has never missed an opportunity to support
legislation favorable to Israel. It should be pointed out that in the
current atmosphere, in which the Obama administration is stepping up its
rhetoric to express its displeasure with the planned construction
beyond the Green Line, Kerry might go even further in condemning the
Netanyahu government on that front. At least one well-connected source
has communicated such an assessment.
Kerry supports Israel
and its right to defend itself. He believes its borders should be based
on the 1949 armistice lines, with some tweaks. U.S. policy on
settlements has been consistent for some time; it is the rhetoric that
keeps changing, and the criticism could become even more intense on
Kerry's watch.
Something else to keep
in mind is Kerry's courting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, before
the latter became embroiled in a bloody civil war. Kerry logged many
hours with Assad in his frequent visits to Damascus, making sure to
shower praise on him. He called him "very generous," and touted the
important role Syria played in the region. Some were bothered that the
Kerry had become a regular at Assad's palace, and accused him of cozying
up to the Syrian leader. But now Assad is at his low point, his
ruthless, bloody character clearly on display.
There is no
disagreement between Kerry and President Barack Obama when it comes to
Iran. Just like the president, Kerry prefers to exhaust the sanctions
option. Taking out Iran's nuclear installations is much lower on his
list of priorities. Kerry is categorically opposed to a nuclear Iran,
but he would rather take diplomatic steps before approving any military
campaign, an option which will always be "on the table."
If Obama's likely pick
for defense secretary, former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel, is confirmed
by the Senate, Obama will have appointed two senior officials who see
no urgent need to launch missiles against Iranian nuclear sites. While
Obama has yet to formally announce his selection for the Pentagon chief,
the general consensus is that Hagel is his first choice.
Will Obama rethink Hagel's nomination? Has the recent criticism over Hagel's views changed anything? We have no way of telling.
The selection of Kerry,
a Catholic with Jewish roots, who has often been dispatched to
Afghanistan, Pakistan and other hot spots around the globe on behalf of
the president, was the first staffing decision for Obama's new cabinet.
This was an impressive choice, but not surprising.
While Kerry is not a
member of Obama's inner circle, the president has not forgotten the
support he received from the senator when he sought the presidency, the
same office Kerry tried but failed to capture in 2004 as the Democratic
nominee (he lost to incumbent President George W. Bush).
If Netanyahu wins
re-election in the Jan. 22 Knesset election, he will get an earful from
the new secretary of state when it comes to construction beyond the
Green Line.
Prof. Abraham Ben-Zvi
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=3099
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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