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Kerry Denounces/Defends Fence. Pick One
From JP, EFL:US Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the frontrunner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, described Israelâs construction of a security barrier as a "legitimate act of self defense" after Sundayâs suicide bombing in Jerusalem, -flip- "It is ironic that this act of terror takes place on the eve of consideration by the International Court of Justice of Israelâs security fence. The court does not have and should not accept jurisdiction over this case," Kerry said in a statement released by his campaign Monday. Today heâs against the ICJ, tomorrow, who knows? "Israelâs security fence is a legitimate act of self defense," he added. "No nation can stand by while its children are blown up at pizza parlors and on buses. While President [George W.] Bush is rightly discussing with Israel the exact route of the fence to minimize the hardship it causes innocent Palestinians, Israel has a right and a duty to defend its citizens. The fence only exists in response to the wave of terror attacks against Israel." Even a broken clock is right twice a day. It has been rare for Democratic candidates to issue statements on incidents like bombings in Israel over the past few months. Canât find a way to blame Bush, I guess. Kerryâs statement, highlighting the justification for the fence, came a week before the crucial March 2 "Super Tuesday" primaries, which include New York with its high concentration of Democratic Jewish voters, some political observers noted. Yes, Iâm sure thatâs just a coincidence. In his October speech to a conference held by the Arab American Institute in Michigan, Kerry stressed the fenceâs negative aspects. "I know how disheartened Palestinians are by the Israeli governmentâs decision to build the barrier off of the Green Line â cutting deep into Palestinian areas," Kerry said. "We donât need another barrier to peace. Provocative and counterproductive measures only harm Israelisâ security over the long term, increase the hardships to the Palestinian people, and make the process of negotiating an eventual settlement that much harder." Gee, itâs like he changes his position to fit the group of voters heâs talking to. Steve Rabinowitz, a Democratic strategist in Washington, said he sees no contradiction. "Kerryâs position is no different from Bushâs," he said. "The word âbarrierâ was not even in the lexicon back in October when we only talked about fences and walls. He was obviously talking about obstacles to peace, not physical fences. I donât see anything contradictory at all between then and now." "It all depends on what your definition of "barrier" is." Posted by: Steve 2004-02-25 |
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