US Secretary of State John Kerry
US Secretary of State John KerryFlash 90

US Secretary of State John Kerry stated at a press conference last Thursday that reconciliation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) is possible, drawing on a comparison with the reconciliation between the US and Vietnam.

"I have personally learned something about the power of reconciliation," opined Kerry. "Last month I traveled to Vietnam on my first visit there as Secretary of State. I was a young soldier who fought there."

"The transformation in our relationship (with Vietnam) is proof that as painful as the past can be, through hard work of diplomacy history’s adversaries can actually become partners for a new day, and history’s challenges can become opportunities for a new age," claimed Kerry.

But the comparison between America's messy engagement in a foreign country more than 8,000 miles away, and Israel's struggle for survival in the heart of the Jewish homeland has not sat well with Israeli rights activists.

Mark Langfan, Chairman of Americans for a Safe Israel (AFSI) and Arutz Sheva analyst, labelled Kerry's analogy "insane," noting the strategic dangers of such a "reconciliation."

“I think Kerry should buy a map, and he’d realize that East Jerusalem is a short sniper’s bullet-distance from western Jerusalem," remarked Langfan, noting the IDF civilian worker who was fatally shot by a Gazan sniper last week.

Langfan recommended that Kerry peruse his three dimensional topographic map, clearly detailing the overwhelming military advantage a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria would have in raining rockets down on Israel's population and industrial centers.

"The distance between Ho Chi Minh City and Kerry’s safe, plush Washington DC desk is 9008 miles (14,498 kilometers), not 2 inches, and at this minute Palestinians are plotting to annihilate Israel,” emphasized Langfan.

Langfan also took issue with Kerry's comments that katyusha (rockets) landed in Sderot and Israel's north "once upon a time."

"Rockets aren't a fairy tale, but were fired last week," shot back Langfan, arguing that under Kerry's plan katyushas bearing a chemical payload such as Sarin gas could easily be fired down on Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Langfan further attacked Kerry's Vietnam comparison in context of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

"Abbas has been paying Palestinian terrorists to murder Jews since the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre where Abbas personally paid the Palestinian terrorist Abu Daoud to murder the Israeli Olympic athletes, including an American citizen," noted Langfan, adding that the $440 million in US aid enables Abbas's terror funding.

"Kerry, cut your carbon-footprint, and stop these inane plane-trips," concluded Langfan.

Ironically given Kerry's comparison, an American professor recently asserted that the US administration would abandon Israel in a similar fashion to South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.