Massachusetts Senator
John Kerry's appointment as U.S. secretary of state, soon to be
officially authorized following certain approval in the Senate, assures
us that for the foreseeable future U.S. foreign policy will still be
determined in the White House.
In contrast to previous
powerful and influential secretaries of state such as Henry Kissinger,
who profoundly affected the international arena, Kerry will, like his
predecessor Hillary Clinton, play the role of expert implementer of
policy rather than inspired architect with a vision of his own.
Indeed, all signs show
that the main criterion for the appointment is not creativity,
initiative or original thinking, but the fact that Kerry's authentic
liberal worldview is almost completely in line with that of President
Barack Obama.
The expectation is that
the secretary of state will provide a clear expression of this,
especially in regards to the belief that the U.S. prefers to conduct a
multilateral foreign policy within a framework of international support,
not unilaterally.
On Israel, Kerry also
reliably reflects Obama's beliefs, and his support of Israel can be
defined as "soft" and bereft of any extraordinary warmth.
Even though he is in
the camp of the vast majority of the Senate — comprising both parties —
which has supported every military aid package for Israel, Kerry has
consistently taken a particularly critical stance on the settlements
issue. This position was clearly expressed during Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington in May 2009. At precisely the
same time, Kerry also voiced his incredibly conciliatory and friendly
stance toward Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whom he visited in
Damascus and with whom he sought to embark on a fruitful process of
trust-building measures.
To summarize the point, Kerry is a
carbon copy of the 44th president. No innovative or independent
measures should be expected to emanate from the secretary of state’s
office under his stewardship.
No comments:
Post a Comment