The US State Department has denied claims that US Secretary of State John Kerry made statements on Thursday suggesting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was fueling the spread of Islamic terror in the Middle East.
Speaking to reporters during the daily briefing on Friday, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf said "the US Secretary did not make a link between the growth of ISIL and Israel, period."
“What Kerry said was that during his travels to build a coalition against the Islamic State, he was told that should the Israeli-Palestinian conflict be resolved, the Middle East would be a better place,” the spokesperson said.
In remarks made at an event marking the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha at the State Department Thursday, Kerry said it was “imperative” to restart stalled Israeli-Palestinian talks, since the conflict was helping the Islamic State recruit new members.
“There wasn’t a leader I met with in the region who didn’t raise with me spontaneously the need to try to get peace between Israel and the Palestinians, because it was a cause of recruitment and of street anger and agitation that they felt –- and I see a lot of heads nodding –- they had to respond to,’’ he told a gathering of diplomats.
The statements were sharply criticized by Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett. "Asserting that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict reinforces ISIS, gives a boost to global terrorism," he said.
"It turns out that even when a British Muslim beheads a British Christian, there will always be those who blame the Jews," Bennett said in reference to videos of recent decapitations of Western captives by an Islamic State member who speaks with an English accent.
He added that there is no justification for terrorism and that Israel is fighting against the phenomenon.
Another Israeli government minister, Gilad Erdan, thought to be Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pick to become Interior Minister, also blasted Kerry on Facebook, asking sarcastically whether anybody truly believes Islamic State fighters would put down their arms if Israeli-Palestinian talks were restarted.
“I actually respect Kerry and his efforts, but every time he breaks new records of showing a lack of understanding of our region and the essence of the conflict in the Middle East I have trouble respecting what he says,” he wrote in Hebrew.
Marie Harf, said that Kerry's remarks were taken out of context "for political reasons."
“Either he [Bennett] didn’t read what the secretary said or he was given false information,” she added.
“[Kerry's] comments were distorted for political gains. He did not make that connection.”