Secretary of State John Kerry has stumbled on the diplomatic front once again, angering Israeli victims with a recent public claim that Palestinians in the West Bank didn’t kill anybody in Israel in the last year.
Mr. Kerry made the claim while delivering remarks in Germany, The Washington Free Beacon reported.
His reported exact words: “There’s a momentary prosperity, there’s a momentary peace. Last year, not one Israeli was killed by a Palestinian from the West Bank.”
But family members of victims of Palestinian attacks say Mr. Kerry’s claim is false.
Evyatar Borovsky, for example, was stabbed to death in early 2013 by a Palestinian from the West Bank, The Washington Free Beacon reported. His wife, Tsofia, was left to raise their five children by herself, the media outlet said.
His murder was just one of a five that took place at the hands of West Bank Palestinians last year, The Washington Free Beacon said.
The widowed Ms. Borovsky expressed outrage at Mr. Kerry’s remarks, calling them evidence of his “insensitivity” toward Israelis.
“It’s a feeling of carelessness and neglecting actual Israeli needs,” she said, to The Washington Free Beacon.
Mr. Kerry also recently sparked outrage among Israeli government leaders for what they perceived as his lobby to boycott the nation if peace talks with the Palestinians ended in failure. The State Department has since issued a statement saying Mr. Kerry doesn’t support an economic boycott on Israel.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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