The twisted spiral of violence between Israelis and Palestinians requires “important steps” to be broken, says US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jerusalem and calls for calm.
– We want to make sure that an environment is created in which, I hope, at some point we can create the conditions to restore a sense of security for Israelis and Palestinians alike, Blinken said after discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem .
The American is on a several-day trip in the area. At the first stop, in Cairo, he spoke of a “new and terrible wave” of violence between Israelis and Palestinians. The US representative will also go to the West Bank for a meeting with the Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas in Ramallah.
The atmosphere in the area is now more tense than in a long time, after attacks from both sides claimed over 40 lives in recent weeks.
See pictures from Blinken’s visit in the clip above.