The American pressure on Israel to make concessions is the logical result of Israel’s own behavior, Dr. Aryeh Bachrach declared Thursday, speaking to Arutz Sheva. Dr. Bachrach, a political analyst and head of the Bereaved Parents Forum, said that United States Secretary of State John Kerry’s pressure on Israel “can be understood, and even justified.” “Who is it worthwhile to put pressure on? On the side that’s susceptible to pressure. And in this case that’s Israel,” he explained. “Nobody else is to blame for our stupidity, and nobody else will pay the price for our stupidity,” he warned. When Israel stands up for itself, he noted, it has an impact. Recent statements by Kerry constituted an implied threat of boycotts, he said, “but then, they [later] declared that they are against a boycott. At least in terms of their statements, they had to condemn boycotts.” “Standing firm always helps,” he said. “A strong stance on Israel’s part against American efforts to give up our needs in exchange for their achievements has led the US to step back.” But Israel has a more serious problem than American pressure, he said – the Israeli left. Bachrach expressed frustration with President Shimon Peres in particular, who, he said, stood at Kerry’s side and defended him even as other Israeli leaders were successfully getting Kerry to reconsider his words. Bachrach also condemned ACUM, the music industry organization that pulled a Lifetime Achievement award meant for singer Ariel Zilber at the last minute, due to Zilber’s right-wing political opinions. “ACUM has proven itself to be a political organization with no connection to creativity or artistry. All public and governmental funding to the group should be stopped immediately,” he declared, echoing Zilber's own calls for the group to be disbanded.
