Kerry says Israelis, Palestinians must make tough decisions

Published on May 24, 2013

Israeli and Palestinian leaders must decide soon on whether to revive long-dormant peace negotiations to end their decades-old conflict, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday.

Kerry samples Palestinian shawarma and sweets

Published on May 23, 2013

Secretary of State John Kerry stepped off the diplomatic track on Thursday and onto a West Bank street where he sampled a shawarma sandwich and a pistachio-sprinkled Palestinian sweet.

Kerry praises Netanyahu’s ‘seriousness’ on peace

Published on May 23, 2013

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his “seriousness” in finding ways to restart the peace process.

Israel to authorize four West Bank settler outposts

Published on May 16, 2013

Israel plans to declare legal four unauthorized West Bank settler outposts, a court document showed on Thursday, days before U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry returns to the region to try to restart peace talks.

Jewish groups ask Kerry to fight anti-Semitism in Hungary

Published on May 16, 2013

A dozen Jewish organizations sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressing their concern over the rise of anti-Semitism in Hungary.

Erdogan says will go ahead with Gaza visit

Published on May 16, 2013

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the White House on Thursday that he intends to go ahead with a planned trip to the Gaza Strip next month despite pressure from the United States to delay it.

U.S., Russia seek new Syria peace talks, rebels skeptical

Published on May 8, 2013

Russia and the United States agreed to seek new peace talks with both sides to end Syria's civil war, but opposition leaders were skeptical on Wednesday of an initiative they fear might let President Bashar Assad hang on to power.

Oil-rich Qatar pushing to make its name as a Mideast peace broker

Published on May 7, 2013

When it comes to the latest Arab peace initiative, two questions are circulating in Washington: Why Qatar? And why now?

May 7, 2013

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on May 7, 2013

Israel says ‘no winds of war’ despite Syria air strikes

Published on May 6, 2013

Israel played down weekend air strikes close to Damascus reported to have killed dozens of Syrian soldiers, saying they were not aimed at influencing its neighbor's civil war but only at stopping Iranian missiles reaching Lebanese Hezbollah militants.

Report: Israel rejects 1967 borders ‘precondition’

Published on May 3, 2013

Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, has reportedly refused to accept the 1967 border as the basis for a final Israeli-Palestinian border prior to negotiations.

May 1, 2013

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on May 1, 2013

Kerry calls new Arab League peace stance ‘big step forward’

Published on April 30, 2013

Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday the Arab League's acknowledgment that Israelis and Palestinians may have to swap land in any peace deal was "a very big step forward."

Arab League agrees to peace with land swaps

Published on April 30, 2013

The Arab League agreed to a Middle East peace plan that would allow for agreed-upon land swaps.

April 30, 2013

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on April 30, 2013

April 25, 2013

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on April 25, 2013

April 24, 2013

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on April 24, 2013

Israeli pols slam Kerry for marathon-Mavi Marmara comparison

Published on April 23, 2013

Israeli lawmakers are condemning U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's comparison of the Boston Marathon bombing victims to the 2010 deaths of Turkish citizens aboard the Mavi Marmara ship.

April 19, 2013

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on April 19, 2013

Kerry: Two-year window is maximum for two-state solution

Published on April 18, 2013

Secretary of State John Kerry told Congress he sees a maximum two-year window to bring about a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

P.A. Prime Minister Fayyad offers resignation, sources say

Published on April 10, 2013

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad offered his resignation to P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday following a rift between the two men over government policy, two sources told Reuters.

Kerry tells Peres he sees ‘road ahead’ on peace

Published on April 8, 2013

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Israel said he sees "a road ahead" on the two-state solution for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Iran, world powers ‘far apart’ after new nuke talks

Published on April 8, 2013

The world powers will pursue further talks with Iran over its nuclear program, but will not continue them indefinitely, John Kerry said a day after another round of talks failed to produce any new proposals.

Hatred of Jews remains strong, Netanyahu and Peres tell Yom Hashoah rite

Published on April 8, 2013

The hatred of Jews is still strong more than 70 years after the Holocaust began, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres said at the national Yom Hashoah ceremony at Yad Vashem.

April 8, 2013

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on April 8, 2013

Three Answers to Three Questions on Yesterday’s Post

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on April 4, 2013

Jewish leaders urge Netanyahu to work with Obama on peace

Published on April 4, 2013

More than one hundred U.S. Jewish leaders urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make clear "Israel’s readiness to make painful territorial sacrifices for the sake of peace."

This week in power: Kerry trip, Gas pumping, Damascus attack, Counting Omar

By Danny Groner
Published on April 4, 2013

Kerry to visit Jerusalem, Ramallah; not bringing new peace plan

Published on April 3, 2013

Secretary of State John Kerry will visit Jerusalem and Ramallah next week but does not intend to offer an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, the State Department said on Wednesday.

After Mideast trip, Obama gains political capital. Will he spend it?

Published on March 25, 2013

For a trip that U.S. officials had cautioned was not about getting “deliverables,” President Obama’s apparent success during his Middle East trip at getting Israel and Turkey to reconcile has raised some hopes for a breakthrough on another front: Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

March 25, 2013

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on March 25, 2013

March 20, 2013

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on March 20, 2013

March 19, 2013

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on March 19, 2013

Washington Diary: Worry About Hagel-Out, Worry About Kerry- In

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on March 6, 2013

Kerry: Obama would prefer to ‘avoid considering’ Iran strike

Published on March 5, 2013

Secretary of State John Kerry said President Obama would prefer to avoid considering military action against Iran, but Iran's failure to seriously negotiate makes "confrontation more possible."

Kerry sees ‘finite’ time for Iran nuclear talks

Published on March 4, 2013

The United States and top Gulf Arab ally Saudi Arabia said on Monday that talks between Iran and world powers on a diplomatic solution to its disputed nuclear program could not go on indefinitely.

Washington Diary: Brace Yourself for a Boring AIPAC Conference

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on March 3, 2013

Kerry: Turkish PM’s Zionism comments ‘objectionable’

Published on March 1, 2013

Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday the United States found a comment by Turkey's prime minister, likening Zionism to crimes against humanity, "objectionable", overshadowing their talks on the crisis in neighboring Syria.

U.S. to give Syrian rebels medical, food aid, not arms

Published on February 28, 2013

The United States said on Thursday it will for the first time give non-lethal aid to Syrian rebels and more than double its aid to Syria's civilian opposition, disappointing opponents of President Bashar Assad clamoring for Western weapons.

February 28, 2013

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on February 28, 2013

Kerry: Obama won’t push a peace plan on Israel visit

Published on February 26, 2013

President Obama wants to "listen" on his visit to Israel, not push a particular peace plan, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said.

February 26, 2013

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on February 26, 2013

Powers to offer Iran sanctions relief at nuclear talks

Published on February 25, 2013

Major powers will offer Iran some sanctions relief during talks in Almaty, Kazakhstan, this week if Tehran agrees to curb its nuclear program, a U.S. official said on Monday.

February 21, 2013

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on February 21, 2013

Kerry will wait on Israel visit to accompany Obama

Published on February 20, 2013

John Kerry will tour the Middle East during his first foreign tour as U.S. secretary of state, but will visit Israel two weeks later with President Obama.

February 20, 2013

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on February 20, 2013

Israelis to Obama: This isn’t the time for you to do peace-processing

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on February 14, 2013

Hagel’s other problem

By David Suissa
Published on February 5, 2013

As any news junkie will tell you, former Sen. Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama’s nominee for defense secretary, didn’t do very well at his Senate confirmation hearings last week. Our own political editor, Shmuel Rosner, not known for hyperbole, called his performance “terrible.”

New Secretary Of State John Kerry speaks to Netanyahu, Abbas about peace

Published on February 4, 2013

Secretary of State John Kerry stressed his commitment to promoting Israeli-Palestinian peace on Sunday in telephone calls to the leaders of both sides, the State Department said.

Clinton warns Russia, Iran of Syria conflict spreading

Published on February 1, 2013

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Iran and Russia on Thursday to rethink their support for Syria, saying the most dire scenarios of the conflict spilling beyond its borders could come to pass.

Senate votes to confirm Kerry as secretary of state

Published on January 29, 2013

Senator John Kerry received enough Senate votes on Tuesday to be confirmed as President Barack Obama's new secretary of state, succeeding Hillary Clinton.

John Kerry says he hopes to revive Israeli-Palestinian talks

Published on January 24, 2013

Senator John Kerry, nominated to be the next U.S. secretary of state, said on Thursday he hopes for a revival of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

John Kerry at State: A disaster for Israel

Published on January 2, 2013

President Obama’s decision to nominate Senator John Kerry as his next Secretary of State will prove to be a disaster for Israel.

Jews and pro-Israel community warm to prospect of a Secretary of State John Kerry

Published on December 24, 2012

December 23, 2012

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on December 23, 2012

John Kerry: Strengthening Israel’s security and bolstering the US-Israel special relationship

Published on December 21, 2012

John Kerry has been at the forefront of the fight for Israel’s security during his nineteen years in the US Senate. His pro-Israel voting record is second to none.

Obama to nominate Kerry for sec. of state

Published on December 21, 2012

President Obama is set to nominate Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) as secretary of state.

December 17, 2012

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on December 17, 2012

How to lose the next debate

By Marty Kaplan
Published on October 4, 2012

A couple of weeks ago, when I wrote a “Romney Wins First Debate” column, I didn’t think I was going out on a limb. Obama’s re-election was looking increasingly likely, but audiences don’t show up to watch paint dry.

NJDC to push back on GOP bid to woo Jewish voters

Published on July 27, 2012

The National Jewish Democratic Council is launching a bid to push back against GOP attacks on President Obama in Jewish communities in swing states.