U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made a strong statement Thursday condemning the wave of terror that has left 10 Israelis dead and more than 112 wounded since October 1.
Kerry and Netanyahu met together in Berlin along with European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
In remarks at a news conference prior to their meeting, Israel’s prime minister first thanked the Secretary and the United States “for condemning the terrorist attacks against Israel, for standing up for Israel’s right of self-defense, and also for standing up for Israel in UNESCO. All of that is deeply appreciated.”
Netanyahu then went on to point out that, “Yesterday was a tough day. We had four terrorist attacks. This morning began – we had an attack in which two terrorists tried to murder a bus full of school children. There is no question that this wave of attacks is driven directly by incitement – incitement from Hamas, incitement from the Islamist movement in Islam, and incitement, I am sorry to say, from President [Mahmoud] Abbas and the Palestinian Authority.
“We have to stop the terrorism. To stop the terrorism, we have to stop the incitement,” Netanyahu pointed out. “I think it’s time that the international community told President Abbas to stop the incitement and hold him accountable for his words and his deeds,” he said. “We have to stop the incitement, we have to stop the violence,” Kerry agreed. “I think it’s critical.
“Obviously, this conversation that you and I will have is very important to settle on the steps that will be taken that take us beyond the condemnation and beyond the rhetoric.”
Clearly referring to public Arabic-language speeches by Abbas showing that he is full agreement with other Arab terrorists committed to the murder of Israelis, Kerry said, “It is absolutely critical to end all incitement and all violence, and to find a road forward to build the possibility that is not there today for a larger process.”
The U.S. leader nevertheless added that he still believes there is a chance to dial back the clock and still create a ‘two-state solution.’
“We have been at this, we know each other well. I believe we have the ability to make a difference, and that’s what I came here to do,” he said. “And I hope, in this conversation, we can make progress.
“I talked with King Abdullah (of Jordan) yesterday. I have talked with President [Mahmoud] Abbas. I believe people want this to de-escalate,” Kerry insisted.