Kerry Defends His Support for Israel: ‘I Swam in the Dead Sea’

KERRY This commitment to ░░░░░░░░ s security is actually ░░░░░░░░ personal for me On ░░░░░░░░ first trip to Israel ░░░░░░░░ a young senator in ░░░░░░░░ I was captivated by ░░░░░░░░ special country one that ░░░░░░░░ immediately admired and soon ░░░░░░░░ to love Over the ░░░░░░░░ like so many others ░░░░░░░░ were drawn to this ░░░░░░░░ place I have climbed ░░░░░░░░ swam in the Dead ░░░░░░░░ driven from one biblical ░░░░░░░░ to another I ve ░░░░░░░░ seen the dark side ░░░░░░░░ Hezbollah s rockets storage ░░░░░░░░ just across the border ░░░░░░░░ Lebanon walked through the ░░░░░░░░ of the hell of ░░░░░░░░ Holocaust at Yad Vashem ░░░░░░░░ on the Golan Heights ░░░░░░░░ piloted an Israeli jet ░░░░░░░░ the tiny airspace of ░░░░░░░░ which would make anyone ░░░░░░░░ the importance of security ░░░░░░░░ Israelis Out of those ░░░░░░░░ came a steadfast commitment ░░░░░░░░ Israel s security that ░░░░░░░░ never wavered for a ░░░░░░░░ minute in my 28 ░░░░░░░░ in the Senate or ░░░░░░░░ four years as secretary ░░░░░░░░ ve also often visited ░░░░░░░░ Bank communities where I ░░░░░░░░ Palestinians struggling for basic ░░░░░░░░ and dignity amidst the ░░░░░░░░ passed by military checkpoints ░░░░░░░░ can make even the ░░░░░░░░ routine daily trips to ░░░░░░░░ or school an ordeal ░░░░░░░░ heard from business leaders ░░░░░░░░ could not get the ░░░░░░░░ that they needed to ░░░░░░░░ their products to the ░░░░░░░░ and families who have ░░░░░░░░ to secure permission just ░░░░░░░░ travel for needed medical ░░░░░░░░ And I have witnessed ░░░░░░░░ the ravages of a ░░░░░░░░ that has gone on ░░░░░░░░ far too long I ░░░░░░░░ seen Israeli children whose ░░░░░░░░ have been hit by ░░░░░░░░ rockets I visited shelters ░░░░░░░░ to schools at Kiryat ░░░░░░░░ the kids have 15 ░░░░░░░░ to get to after ░░░░░░░░ warning siren went off ░░░░░░░░ ve also seen the ░░░░░░░░ of war in the ░░░░░░░░ strip were Palestinian girls ░░░░░░░░ Ahmed Abed Rabo played ░░░░░░░░ the rubble of a ░░░░░░░░ out building No children ░░░░░░░░ or Palestinian should have ░░░░░░░░ live like that So ░░░░░░░░ the obvious difficulties that ░░░░░░░░ understood when I became ░░░░░░░░ secretary of state I ░░░░░░░░ that I had to ░░░░░░░░ everything in my power ░░░░░░░░ help end this conflict.”