Mr. Kerry condemned the remarks but added that the issue was not “black and white” and pointed out that Egypt is strategically important to the U.S. and that Mr. Morsi has maintained Egypt’s treaty with Israel.
But can someone who spoke as Mr. Morsi did ever be trusted when it comes to Israel? And are Mr. Kerry and the president unaware that the Koran includes similar comments and worse?
To be sure, for most of his first term President Obama, contrary to the one-dimensional picture painted by some of his critics and despite a rocky personal relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu, generally defended Israel at the UN and other venues, particularly at times when other countries were more than willing to sacrifice Israel’s interests on the altar of Palestinian nationalism. Whether he will continue on that course is far from certain. Given some of the administration’s new faces, there is real cause for concern.