Joe Kent harshly criticizes U.S. Middle East policy: Peace initiatives entirely depend on Israel's stance, and the U.S. is effectively being held hostage

Joe Kent, the former U.S. National Counterterrorism Center director who resigned in opposition to Trump's war against Iran, posted tonight: "The first step toward de-escalation must be constraining Israel; otherwise, all negotiation efforts will follow this pattern: 'The U.S. President publicly announces de-escalation. Israel launches a major strike, undermining negotiations and weakening our negotiating capacity. The conflict intensifies.'

Commentary: Joe Kent, who knows the inside story, speaks the hard truth: America's Middle East policy has long been hijacked—so-called peace initiatives are entirely dependent on Israel's mood. While America appears to lead the situation, it is actually being led by the leash, sinking deeper and deeper.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1860460464835802/

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