Arabic Social Media Unimpressed With ‘Bizarre’ John Kerry Mideast Speech
Arab social media users were not impressed with outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech outlining his vision of a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Twitter users charged that Barack Obama, the lame duck US president, is going out of his way to try to secure a legacy in his last days in office, and said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas does not have the powers necessary to implement the process toward statehood as outlined in Kerry’s speech and the UN Security Council resolution against Israeli settlements.
Twitter user Ahmad Agha responded to Kerry’s speech saying, “Abbas doesn’t represent the Palestinians. Remember, the Palestinian resistance wrought more damage on the enemy than the armies of seven Arab countries ever could.”
@bouarrakia@2li01@s_h_a_h_d
عباس لا يمثل الفلسطينيين حتى يكون عندهم هوان. فلسطين فيها مقاومة فعلت ف العدو ما لم يفعله 7 جيوش عربية— Ahmad Agha (@aghaa1_ahmad) December 28, 2016
“Kerry’s speech was bizarre, I was left stunned by it,” Ahmad Alsharif tweeted at CNN Arabic’s official twitter account.
@cnnarabic خطاب كيري غريب وصدمني
— احمد الشريف/ الحجاز (@sintrox) December 29, 2016
Responding to the same CNN Arabic tweet, Magdi Kamel remarked that Kerry showed “courage during garbage time.”
@cnnarabic شجاعة في الوقت الضايع
— Magdi Kamel (@kamel4_magdi) December 29, 2016
Abu Yazeed took to Twitter to say, “Whoever’s harboring optimism regarding anything coming out of the White House is but a fool.”
@DrHamami من يتفائل بالبيت الأسود إلا اهبل
— ابو يزيد#عاصفة الحزم (@abuyazeed1) December 28, 2016
Anwar Musaed tweeted, “This is an attempt to change the score in injury time. Only a month until the American regime changes and these pronouncements will turn into dust.”
@asaadaldohayem@docshayji هذا لعب بالوقت الضائع
كلها شهر وتتغير الإدارة الأمريكية وتصبح كلماته مجرد ذر رماد !— أنور مساعد الطبطبائي (@anwartab) December 28, 2016
Faig Alsheak opined, “Kerry’s speech on Israel and Palestine is important, and will be extensively covered in the media, but overall it’s meaningless for it’s a swan song.”
خطاب وزير الخارجية الأميركي جون كيري عن إسرائيل وفلسطين لاشك بأنه مهم وخطير، وسيشغل الإعلام العالمي .. لكنه لا معنى له، لأنه خطاب وداعي!
— فائق الشيخ علي (@faigalsheakh) December 28, 2016
Twitter user M.K. wrote, “The administration realizes it has nothing to lose.”
@faigalsheakh باعتبار الادارة بعد ماعدها شي تخسره
— M.K (@N3twk) December 28, 2016
Mahmoud Mubarak, however, was excited by the speech, saying it “would go down as historic. He said what no other Western or Arab leader has said in a long time. If only for once in his life, he’s gathered the courage.”
خطاب كيري الليلة يعد تاريخياً بحق.
قال ما لم يقله أي مسؤول عربي أو غربي منذ أمدٍ بعيد.
جيدٌ أن يتحلى المرء بالجرءة ولو مرةً في حياته— محمود المبارك (@m_mobarak) December 28, 2016
Twitter user Shady replied, saying, “What’s the use of it when he’s saying it on his way out?”
@m_mobarak@a_sayyad
و ما فائدة ما يقوله مهما كان طالما يقوله و هو يغادر— #شادي_البلدShويAغزdY (@ShadyGhz) December 28, 2016