Israel 'spied on Kerry during peace talks'

Israel eavesdropped on US Secretary of State John Kerry during doomed peace talks with the Palestinians last year, German news weekly Der Spiegel reported Sunday.

Kerry regularly spoke by telephone with high-ranking officials throughout the Middle East during the negotiations that finally collapsed earlier this year.The article said the Israelis and at least one other secret service listened in on Kerry's conversations as he tried to mediate, in a development that Der Spiegel said was likely to further strain ties between Israel and the United States.

Spiegel, which cited "several sources among secret services", said that he used not only secure lines but also normal telephones with satellite connections which were vulnerable to tapping.

"The government in Jerusalem used this information in the negotiations on a diplomatic solution in the Middle East," it said.

Spiegel said Kerry's office and the Israeli government declined to comment on its report.

Kerry made reviving Middle East diplomacy a central priority at the start of his term and coaxed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas back to the negotiating table in July 2013.

But in April this year, Israel made a surprise announcement of plans for 700 new settlements and refused to free a last batch of Palestinian prisoners after earlier releases. Abbas in turn sought Palestinian membership in 15 UN conventions and the peace drive eventually broke down.

Kerry has attempted to mediate during the current Israeli military offensive in Gaza and flew to Israel last week.

But he has failed to bring about a lasting truce in the 26-day confrontation that has claimed more than 1,700 lives.

John Kerry Sending Scientists To Help Ugandan President Reconsider Homosexuality

John Kerry is taking a strong and intelligent approach in response to Uganda‘s Anti-Homosexuality Law (AHB). The U.S. Secretary of State announced he is sending scientists to discuss homosexuality with the President Yoweri Museveni, in the hope that they can change his mind.

“Maybe we can reach a point of reconsideration” on Uganda’s anti-gay law that mandates life in prison or years in jail for engaging in acts of homosexual sex, or for just being gay.

The news came today during a forum at the State Department that was moderated by BuzzFeed, Buzzfeed’s J. Lester Feder reports.

Last month, President Museveni signed the infamous legislation into law, after claiming that Ugandan scientist had convinced him homosexuality is a choice and that no one is born gay.

“I talked personally to President Museveni just a few weeks ago, and he committed to meet with some of our experts so that we could engage him in a dialogue as to why what he did could not be based on any kind of science or fact, which is what he was alleging,” Secretary Kerry said, according to Buzzfeed. “He welcomed that and said that he was happy to receive them and we can engage in that kind of conversation… maybe we can reach a point of reconsideration.”

Buzzfeed also reports that Secretary Kerry will be addressing anti-gay laws in about 80 countries that outlaw/restrict homosexuality and LGBT people:

“There’s been already a review taking place,” Kerry said, to examine policy towards all countries where homosexuality is criminalized, “to figure out what the options are as to how we can begin to change minds, move leaders, reach the public, the same kind of education that took place frankly here in our country.”
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“We talked about how everybody in everyone of those consulates and embassies is going to have responsibility now to become an advocates with facts,” Kerry said. “It’s going to have to be strategic country by country. I don’t think you’re going to find different countries will have different needs, different sensitivities. So we’re going to try to put together the overall umbrella program tailorable, obviously, region by region and country by country.”

Secretary Kerry last month denounced the signing of the anti-gay legislation into law, comparing it to anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany, and apartheid in South Africa.

Having a representative of the U.S. government advocate for changes in attitudes on homosexuality is a monumental step. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton started the process, repeatedly announcing that “gay rights are human rights,” but this is, hopefully, real action, and impressive.