Saudi FM Saud al-Faisal greets John Kerry, November 3rd, 2013. Photo: State Department.

While John Kerry’s attack on Israeli policies may have shocked some during his visit to the Jewish state last week – particularly his statement about a third intifada if peace talks fail – the chief foreign envoy for the Yesha Council, Dani Dayan, was not caught completely by surprise.

“I was surprised to some degree by Kerry pressing the side that has just made concessions – Israel having just released prisoners – instead of addressing Palestinian intransigencies. But American foreign policy has been so misguided for the past month in the Middle East, that nothing can surprise me anymore,” Dayan told Tazpit News Agency.

In an interview with the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation and Israel’s Channel 2 News that aired on Thursday night, the U.S. Secretary of State pointed an accusing finger at Israel, saying that Israelis were not serious enough. Calling Israeli settlements “illegitimate” after meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday, Kerry went even further on Thursday night saying that the “entire peace process would in fact be easier if these settlements were not taking place.”

“There is nothing more morally justified in the world for a Jew to return to the heart of his homeland. The perception that a Jew living in Shiloh and Bet El is illegitimate is not only wrong, but utterly absurd,” Dayan told Tazpit.

“The fact that the U.S. simultaneously appeases Iran by threatening Israel is completely incomprehensible,” the former head of Yesha pointed out.

In the Channel 2 News interview, Kerry used particularly heavy language against the Israeli public.

“Israel says, ‘Oh we feel safe today. We have the wall, we’re not in a day-to-day conflict, we’re doing pretty well economically.’ Well, I’ve got news for you…if we don’t resolve this issue, the Arab world, the Palestinians neighbors, others, are going to begin again to push in a different way,” Kerry stated according to a Times of Israel report.

Dayan believes that Kerry was reckless to start a peace process in the first place. “If the third intifada does break out as Kerry indicated yesterday, the blame will be on Kerry’s shoulders. He is to blame if these negotiations bring violence and terror.”

“Kerry forced Israel to go into negotiations, which any rational person knows will not succeed because of Palestinian intransigencies.”

A former State Department official, Aaron David Miller, stated in a Reuters report back in August regarding Kerry’s push for peace talks that “after two decades of failed talks, violence, [and] broken trust, negotiations without direction are not just a key to an empty room, they’re destructive and harmful.”

“Israel should stop negotiating immediately under the threat of terror that Kerry has clearly indicated is overshadowing the peace talks,” added Dayan.

Meanwhile on Thursday, the Shin Bet and Israeli security forces closed two East Jerusalem offices, which served as a base for Hamas operations in Israel’s capital. The Shin Bet indicated that the offices belonged to charities based in Umm al-Fahm and Nazareth in northern Israel, which were known as Al-Quds Development and Amara al-Aqsa. Israeli security forces stated that “following up-to-date information that Hamas…continues to act there,” action was taken to shut the offices down.

The Amara al-Aqsa office was closed because of “information on activities aiding and supporting Hamas in Jerusalem,” which also “led to violence against visitors and security forces on the Temple Mount.”