US State Department appears to double down on Nides’s moral equivalence

First it was, “Ambassador Nides, call your office.” Now, it’s “State Department, call your ambassador to Israel.”

Several hours after Palestinian terrorists murdered four Israelis near Eli, Thomas Nides, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, posted a statement.

“Deeply concerned about the civilian deaths and injuries that have occurred in the West Bank these past 48 hours, including that of minors. Praying for the families as they mourn the loss of loved ones, or tend to those injured,” the ambassador tweeted initially.

Many, including former Anti-Defamation League head Abraham Foxman, noted that Nides appeared to draw a moral equivalence between the Jewish victims of terrorism and the terrorists, against whom Israel had launched an operation the prior day.

About an hour later, Nides tweeted: “I condemn in the strongest terms the senseless murder of four innocent Israelis today—my heart is with their grieving family members.”

Some five hours after that, Foggy Bottom issued a statement from Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesman. The statement was headlined: “Terror attack near Eli and West Bank violence.”

“The United States condemns the terrorist attack against Israelis near Eli in the West Bank today. We express our deepest condolences to the families of those killed and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” Miller stated.

“We are also concerned about the continuation of violence in Israel and the West Bank in recent weeks that has killed and injured Palestinian and Israeli civilians,” Miller added. “We will continue to work with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to promote steps towards de-escalation.”