(JNS.org) During a Senate Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Tuesday, April 8, Secretary of State John Kerry focused heavily on Israeli moves in his explanation of what he believes has caused the current impasse in the American-brokered peace talks. “Both sides, whether advertently or inadvertently, wound up in positions where things happened that were unhelpful,” Kerry said.

He cited Israel’s refusal to proceed with the fourth scheduled release of Palestinian terrorist prisoners on March 29 as leading to the stalling of negotiations. “Unfortunately, prisoners were not released on the Saturday they were supposed to be released. And so, day one went by, day two went by, day three went by. And then in the afternoon, when they were about to maybe get there, 700 settlement units were announced in Jerusalem and, poof, that was sort of the moment. We find ourselves where we are.”

Kerry said that the Palestinian move to join 15 international conventions and treaties also hurt negotiations. “Clearly, going to these treaties is not helpful, and we have made that crystal clear,” he said.

The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) slammed Kerry for singling out Israel. “After almost nine months of negotiations, during which Israel took concrete steps to advance the process, including the release of 78 prisoners – many of them terrorists – it is outrageous for Secretary Kerry to blame the Jewish state for the apparent failure of the diplomatic process undertaken at his insistence,” RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said.