February 15, 2014 --

New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman opened his February 12 column with the suggestion that Secretary of State John Kerry is going to put forward "a clear framework" for Israel-Palestine Authority peace and predicted this will be a "critical" moment for the State of Israel. LPR wonders, why? If the secretary were to present an eminently fair and reasonable framework, why should such a recommendation lead to difficulties in Israel, as Friedman clearly indicated? His words were "all hell could break loose in Israel."

Friedman acknowledged that speaking at the Munich Security Conference, recently, Secretary Kerry commented that if the Israel-Palestine Authority talks break down, Israel will face a "de-legitimization campaign" and added "There are talk of boycotts and other things." Friedman did not mention that Kerry, speaking in Munich on February 1, also indicated that informed people "know pretty much what the final status agreement actually looks like. The question is: How do you get there?" LPR has a hunch Kerry's answer is: "By playing hardball with Israel." Friedman indicated that he is gearing up to accuse Israel of being "some kind of apartheid-like state."

As LPR sees the present U.S. diplomatic stance on peace between Israel and the Palestine Authority, one-sided pressure is to be applied to Israel.
This approach leaves the Palestine Authority free to find new excuses to refuse peace with Israel and simply wait for the de-legitimization campaign to begin.

Friedman cited an Israel, Gidi Grinstein, who calls on Israel to agree to a two state solution. Friedman, however, also quoted Grinstein's observation
that the goal of the movement to boycott Israel "'is not about Israel's policies but Israel's existence: they want to see Israel disappear."

What Grinstein apparently will not accept -- and certainly not Friedman -- is that this could be precisely the goal of Palestine Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas and, certainly, Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah.

Friedman twice in his column referred to the U.S. as "Israel's closest ally." LPR wonders if a very close ally would keep the Israeli spy Jonathan

Pollard side in prison for decades and, likely, until he dies.

Contrast, please, the concluding words of Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper, speaking to the Knesset, January 20 with the apparent diplomatic mindset of the United States.

Harper said: "...may peace be upon Israel." What LPR hears from Secretary Kerry amounts to: May international pressure be brought to bear on Israel. And the Palestine Authority continues to bide its time, until the Jewish State disappears.