US condemns Moshe Yaalon’s comments on John Kerry

The US has condemned as “offensive” reported comments by Israel’s Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon about Secretary of State John Kerry’s Middle East peace proposals.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the alleged comments by Moshe Yaalon were “inappropriate” given America’s support to Israel’s security.

It was a rare rebuke to America’s ally.

Moshe Yaalon was quoted by Israel’s Yediot Ahronot newspaper as saying John Kerry was acting out of “misplaced obsession and messianic fervor”.

He said a security plan John Kerry had presented to Israel was “not worth the paper it was written on”.

“John Kerry – who has come to us determined and is acting out of an incomprehensible obsession and messianic fervor – cannot teach me anything about the conflict with the Palestinians.”

Moshe Yaalon made his comments in private conversations in Israel and the US, the Israeli newspaper said.

John Kerry has made a series of visits to the Middle East in recent months in an attempt to inject momentum into Israeli-Palestinian peace talks re-launched last year.

However, the talks have so far shown little sign of progress.