Kerry & The Fence

John Kerry is continuing his consistent inconsistency by attempting to have it both ways when it comes to the fence that Israel is building to keep the Palestinian terrorists out.

Back in October, Kerry said:

"We don't need another barrier to peace. Provocative and counterproductive measures only harm Israelis' security over the long term, increase the hardships to the Palestinian people, and make the process of negotiating an eventual settlement that much harder."

Then Monday he comes back with:

"Israel's security fence is a legitimate act of self defense."

OK, now the two statements don't explicitly contradict each other, but their tone is most certainly contradictory. In the first statement I cannot believe that Kerry meant anything other than to attempt to place blame squarely on Israel for the fence. Now, he is most certainly attempting to spread the onus to the Palestinians (where it should have been in the first place).

But this does leave the question, what does John Kerry really believe regarding the fence? Does he truly believe that Israel is entitled to protect itself? Or does he believe that the fence is unacceptable?

I don't think that this is a minor issue. I think that it actually gets to the heart of Kerry's stance on terrorism. The fence is a microcosm of the war on terror. Israel is attempting every mean short of all out war to protect itself from an enemy that desires only its annihilation. Does Kerry believe that every mean should be used? Or does he believe that uncomfortable measures should be avoided if they might upset someone? I want to know the answer to these questions.

John Kerry challenged President Bush to bring it on relating to national security issues. Well, the question is out there.

What is John Kerry's real position on the fence? Is he ok with it, or does he find it to be an obstacle to peace?