U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters Monday he is postponing what was supposed to be a visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority next week and will return to the region after the Thanksgiving holiday.
He did not explain reasons behind the new timetable but did state, “It looks as if I probably will not be able to get there over the course of this weekend.”
Given his undiplomatic remarks last week, threatening Israel it will face a “third Intifada” if it does not do as he says, nothing will probably be lost by his remaining out of Israel for another week.
Iran also has been a sore point between him and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, and Kerry tried to some smooth talk Monday. He said of Netanyahu, “I have great respect for his concerns about his country. The prime minister should express his concerns and he has every right in the world to publicly state his position and defend what he believes is his interest.”
But he added that the Prime Minister is wrong. “Nothing that we are doing here, in my judgment, will put Israel at any additional risk,” Kerry said.