While members of congress and others worry over whether Chas Freeman’s anti-Israel views might be empowered by his role at the National Intelligence Council, the esteemed Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator John Kerry, spoke today at the Brookings Institution. After baldly asserting that “tectonic shifts” in the region open up greater opportunities for peace than ever, the man who sought the presidency in 2004 declared: “Nothing will do more to make clear our seriousness about turning the page than demonstrating — with actions rather than words — that we are serious about Israel freezing settlement activity in the West Bank.”
(Play the 2nd clip here)

Really Senator Kerry? “Nothing” would do more? How about, oh, all Arabs recognizing Israel, renouncing terrorism, blocking Iran’s ability to make good on its threat to wipe Israel off the map, ending Hamas’ reign in Gaza, eliminating the teaching of anti-Semitism from Arab schools….

Mr. Kerry’s prescription will certainly bring him accolades from the folks at IPF and J Street.

—