US Secretary of State John Kerry learned the lesson well since failure of the initiative to activate the two-state solution in front of the stubborn Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who adheres strongly to the policy of Judaization and settlement expansion in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank. Since then Kerry and the Obama administration avoid the so called “swamp of Israeli – Palestinian conflict”. The US administration was glad to see the Middle East sinking into terrorism war, which placed takfiri terror (ISIL, Al-Nusra Front) as an alternative foe to Israel for most Arab nations, as well as a competitor to Iranian adversary. Netanyahu worked hard to push Iran to the front lines as its enemy since the days of Condoleezza Rice when she propagated the term “New Middle East” in the midst of Israeli war against Lebanon in 2006.

 

The occurrence of alternative enemies (ISIL) saved Kerry and Obama administration the burden of involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that causes problems in US relations with Arab states, Congress, and the Jewish lobby. Iranian nuclear deal exhausted a lot of time, meanwhile the US fails to impose two-nation state solution. Likewise, war against ISIS and takfiri terrorism used a great amount of resources and efforts, while taking the public eye away from the pressures of Israeli policies in the occupied territories in Palestine. Washington's reasoning implies that the current state of world affairs would put the Palestinian struggle in the shadow, while there is a change in priorities for Arab nations to deal with two immediate threats: terrorism and Iran. Palestinian youth spoiled these expectations and successfully placed the Palestinian issue back at the top of the list.

 

Given all that, John Kerry must be dismayed with his wrong expectations of the Palestinian issue going into shadows, against the new threats facing the Middle Eastern region. Realizing the critical situation, Kerry was obliged to return to the region trying to settle things and put the Palestinian case out of the spotlight. His latest visit was an emergency one, outside of the US priority list, especially with the complications in the Syrian crisis.

 

Kerry visited Israel, Jordan, and Ramallah to stop the third Palestinian uprising that seems to appear on the horizon of the main conflict of the region. US Secretary of State was keen to emphasize Washington's siding with Israel against the Palestinians who bear the responsibility of the escalation taking place in the occupied territories. Statements made by Kerry on the local Israeli channel, revealed the truth behind the American approach to contain the Palestinian protests, by placing blame on the occupied people. US official addressed Netanyahu saying: “Israelis have the full right to defend themselves against violence in the Old City, in Jerusalem, and everywhere else; Palestinians have to stop incitement of violence. President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas should condemn violence loud and clear.”

 

Historically Palestinians are always accused of inciting violence, while Israelis are always the victim. During the talks — Kerry, Netanyahu, Abbas, and Jordanian King Abdullah — focused on one specific issue: activating a peace mechanism concerning Al-Aqsa Mosque, out of a wrong conception that protests are against Israeli unlawful violations in Al-Aqsa, and not at all about the breach of the Oslo Accord, or the total disillusionment of Palestinian youth in the idea of peace between Israel and the occupied Palestine. Peace process, to the younger generation of the occupied territories, is meant peace for the Israelis only. As such Israeli and US goals are the same, aiming against the Palestinian cause. The US will divide Arab states into fragmented entities, and thus Israel will be the dominating regional power.

 

Kerry’s viewpoint matches Israeli requests insisting on full control over Al-Aqsa Mosque. To make thing clear, Netanyahu said that “if the international community really wants to stop violence and bloodshed, I insist that Israel is to keep the status quo in Jerusalem.” In a meeting with Angela Merkel in Berlin, Israeli PM said: “If we want peace, we have to stop terrorism, and in order to stop it, incitement has to disappear.” The one responsible for incitement is the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. Kerry followed Netanyahu's requests and asked Abbas to stop inciting the youth and do anything to prevent them from going against the Israeli army. Kerry, like Netanyahu, wants to stop the Palestinian protesters, who want to free their land from the hands of Israelis. Kerry is eliminating the Palestinian issue, though they are the real victims whose land is occupied, but the US denies this continuously. Kerry's visit was aimed at saving the crumbling name of Israel.