MK Yitzchak Herzog
MK Yitzchak HerzogFlash 90

A group of right-wing protesters who oppose the latest visit from United States Secretary of State John Kerry have accused the police of wrongly silencing their rally.

Police confiscated the protesters’ bullhorn, which they were using to broadcast their shouts of “John Kerry, go home.” Two protesters were arrested as well.

The Samaria Residents’ Council spoke out Saturday night against the police’s reaction to the protest. The calls to Kerry were “a legal way to call on Kerry to return home without pressuring Israel to give up strategic assets,” the group argued, accusing police of “silencing legitimate protest on the streets of the capital – again.”

Kerry faces doubters on the political left, as well. In a new interview, the new head of the Labor party and of the Knesset opposition – MK Yitzchak Herzog – expressed doubt that diplomacy between Israel and the Palestinian Authority is serious, or will be serious in the near future.

Herzog did not question Kerry’s abilities, but his perception of the ongoing Israel-PA negotiations was noticeably different from that of the American diplomat, who has reported significant progress in talks - although he has declined to share details.

“The ‘wave’ of diplomacy is likely to pass by and leave nothing changed,” Herzog told journalist Meir Berger. “I don’t see [a breakthrough] getting any closer. Certainly thing are not at the point where I would need to consider my next move.”

Herzog was apparently referring to the question of whether his party would join the coalition to provide support if Israel-PA talks were at a critical point.