Hawkish Israeli minister retracts harsh criticism on Kerry

Israel's Economy Minister Naftali Bennett on Monday said that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is not anti-Semitic, the Jerusalem Post reported. Bennett's comment, made in Jerusalem at a conference of Jewish organizations, came in response to criticism by his party's nationalistic right-wing politicians, who accused Kerry of being biased against Israel in his efforts to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians. "Kerry is not an anti-Semite. Whoever suggested that is flatly wrong," Bennett said on Monday, adding that "America is our greatest ally, our strategic friend." Bennett and other right-wingers attacked Kerry a month ago, after he warned Israel of a possible expansion of the boycott movement against it in case the peace talks with the Palestinians falter. A member of Bennett's party even said that Kerry was motivated by anti-Semitism. Those attacks were denounced by Israeli President Shimon Peres, Justice Minister and chief Israeli negotiator Tzipi Livni and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Lieberman greatly criticized the Jewish Home's reaction to Kerry's efforts and statements, telling Army Radio that "to call somebody anti-Semitic because of difference of opinion? We shouldn 't take friends and turn them into enemies." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered his ministers not to attack Kerry in the media in the recent months following the turmoil. Kerry is working on a framework agreement to outline the further progress of the peace talks in the upcoming year.