NEW YORK POST
by John Podhoretz
July 29, 2014

Commentary from Ed Lasky : Other countries routinely criticize Obama/Kerry etc. and that has not stopped the WH outreach and good words about them. Why spoil the atmosphere when dealing with the Iranians who routinely talk about destroying Israel as well as insulting Obama. They are exempt from criticism-as is the British media, Poland and other nation’s media and leaders who critique the performance of the WH. Anyone hear how Putin and Russian media talk about Obama and Kerry? Not a word from the WH about THAT treatment. One nation, one group is singled out for special treatment.

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John Kerry fought in Vietnam, threw his medals away, served decades in the Senate, ran for president, did some windsurfing and then became secretary of state of the most powerful country on earth. He’s a big boy. But there are those who seem to feel otherwise, that Kerry is a fragile and tender reed in need of delicate care — people who work for and with him. Not to mention Kerry himself.

Over the course of the past year, on several occasions, Kerry and other staffers have taken to whining — not sure there’s a nicer word — over how unfairly he’s being written and talked about in Israel. In January, after Israel’s defense minister was twice quoted speaking disparagingly about Kerry’s peace-process efforts and his nuclear diplomacy with Iran, Kerry actually called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to complain.

This was an odd thing, given the relative power of Kerry and the relatively minor position of Moshe Ya’alon. Kerry could have brushed Yaalon’s words off as a giant brushes off a fly.But it was so hurtful to Kerry that he made sure the world knew about it. His spokesperson, Jen Psaki, said at a public briefing that Ya’alon’s “comments were not constructive.

…..The administration’s self-defense hinges in large measure on whether Kerry had presented Israel with a cease-fire “proposal,” or merely a “plan,” a “discussion paper.” Whatever it was, the Israeli Cabinet found it necessary to reject it unanimously. With all this going on, Israel’s ambassador to the United States also found it necessary on Monday to make a public display of gratitude to Kerry — an emotion it’s somewhat doubtful anyone inside Israel genuinely feels these days. “I speak directly for my prime minister here,” Ambassador Ron Dermer said. “The criticism of Secretary Kerry for his good faith efforts to advance a sustainable cease-fire is unwarranted.”

Now that’s being diplomatic. Maybe Kerry should take some lessons.

http://nypost.com/2014/07/29/coddling-kerry-did-mean-israelis-hurt-his-feelings/