John Kerry tells Palestinian Authority officials that “Trump will not remain in office long”

by Alex Christoforou, The Duran:

John Kerry hints at 2020 US Presidential run.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry met with a top Palestinian officials in London, where the former Obama White House official told those in attendance to “stay strong” because POTUS Trump will not be in office much longer.

Kerry later hinted that he may run for the White House in 2020.

Via Israel National News…

Former Secretary of State John Kerry recently urged Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas to resist President Donald Trump, telling the PA leader to ‘stay strong’ and ‘play for time’ – while suggesting he may make a second bid for the White House.

Kerry, who left the State Department last January, has maintained contact with the PA leader via an intermediary, a new report in Hebrew daily Ma’ariv claims.

According to the report, which has been confirmed by senior PA officials, Kerry has continued to meet with Hussein Agha, a confidant of PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas who served as an interlocutor for Kerry and the PA leader during Kerry’s four years as America’s top diplomat.

During a recent meeting between Kerry and Agha in London, the former Secretary of State and 2004 Democratic presidential nominee reportedly expressed his support for Abbas, asking Agha to convey the message “hold on and be strong” to the PA chief.

Kerry also urged Abbas, via Agha, to reject President Donald Trump’s “demands”.

“[Abbas] should stay strong in his spirit and play for time,” Kerry reportedly said, adding that the PA leader should show President Trump that he will “not break and will not yield to President Trump’s demands.”

The former Secretary of State also suggested the PA formulate its own peace plan.

 

“Maybe it is time for the Palestinians to define their peace principles and present a positive plan.”

Kerry further offered to help build international support for an alternative peace plan, circumventing the US, which has traditionally played the role of broker in peace talks between Israel and the Arab world.

The Massachusetts Democrat even suggested he may run for president again with a bid to unseat President Trump in 2020. Last September, Kerry refused to rule out the possibility of running in 2020, telling MSNBC that he did not “have any plans right now” to run again. If elected, Kerry would be 77 on inauguration day in 2021 – making him the oldest president in US history. The current record is held by President Trump, who was 70 years old when he was sworn in last year.

The Jerusalem Post reports…

Ma’ariv reported that former US Secretary of State John Kerry met in London with a close associate of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Hussein Agha, for a long and open conversation about a variety of topics. Agha apparently reported details of the conversation to senior PA officials in Ramallah. A senior PA official confirmed to Ma’ariv that the meeting took place.

Agha is one of Abbas’s closest associates and one of the veteran peacemakers with Israel. He conducted the “London Track,” secret negotiations held from 2010 to 2013 between the emissaries of Netanyahu, attorney Yitzhak Molcho and Brigadier General Mike Herzog, under the supervision and presence of Dennis Ross. Agha also authored with Yossi Beilin the Beilin-Abbas agreement in the 1990s. He is considered a staunch supporter of the peace process, very close to Abbas, and maintains an extensive network of contacts with many elements, including Israelis.

During the conversation, according to the report, Kerry asked Agha to convey a message to Abbas and ask him to “hold on and be strong.” Tell him, he told Agha, “that he should stay strong in his spirit and play for time, that he will not break and will not yield to President Trump’s demands.” According to Kerry, Trump will not remain in office for a long time. It was reported that within a year there was a good chance that Trump would not be in the White House.

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