Kerry meets with Israeli, Palestinian leaders

US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed strong support for Israel and condemned a wave of Palestinian attacks today as he met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to try to ease weeks of violence. Prior to his arrival in Israel on Tuesday, Kerry told reporters his reason for the trip was “to see if we can get some concrete steps in place – begin to build them, maybe – that could calm things down a little bit so people aren’t living in absolute, daily terror that they might be stabbed or driven into or shot trying to walk around their city”.

Kerry held talks with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem Tuesday morning and referred to Palestinian attacks against Israel as “terror” attacks.

The violence erupted in mid-September over tensions surrounding a sensitive Jerusalem holy site and quickly spread across Israel and into the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The stabbings were the latest in a wave of violence since October 1 that has left 92 Palestinians dead, including one Arab Israeli, as well as 17 Israelis, an American and an Eritrean.

Israeli soldiers stand guard next to Israeli commuters at a bus station where a Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli security forces, near the Gush Etzion block of settlements south of occupied Jerusalem in the West Bank.

It is the secretary of state’s second visit to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders since peace talks collapsed in April 2014.

Reportedly, the US was pushing for more meaningful gestures, such as increasing the Palestinians’ responsibilities in the so-called Area C that constitutes around 60% of the West Bank and is under exclusive Israeli control, both security and civilian. Fayez Abu Aiatah, a spokesman for Abbas’s Fatah party, said that the PA leadership has already told Kerry that a real political solution for the Palestinian issue was the only way to achieve calm, as stated by the Jerusalem Post.

He also stated that “the Palestinians could do more on their side to condemn these attacks and prevent them from happening”.

The Palestinians were protesting statements Kerry made in Israel in which he described the Palestinian attacks against Israelis as terrorism. Five people were killed in stabbing and shooting attacks on November 19, including Ezra Schwartz, an 18-year-old from Kerry’s home state of MA. For the Israelis, that means holding off on the construction of new settlements in lands the Palestinians seek for their future state.

The killings capped another day of violence in which three Palestinian assailants – including a teenage girl – were also killed.

For his part, Netanyahu says that the global community should support Israel’s fight against terrorism, which he says is “the battle of civilization against barbarism”. Two teenage Palestinian girls attacked a 70-year-old Palestinian in Jerusalem, apparently mistaking him for an Israeli.

But many doubt John Kerry’s presence will be of much influence after the White House recently admitted that president Obama does not expect to broker an Israeli/Palestinian peace deal before he leaves office.

“Kerry did not carry any new ideas to solve the current crisis”, one PA official said.

Eliason acknowledged the security problems Israel faces, but reminded the Israeli authorities that using excessive forces feeds anger and frustration and urged the security services of the country to exercise maximum restraint, particularly, for the use of lethal force.

Erekat said Abbas reiterated during the meeting his commitment to a two-state solution.

Abbas, who believes a deal with Netanyahu is impossible, has provided no indication that he wants to restart direct peace talks anytime soon.