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Kerry: Israel has right to defend itself against Palestinian terror attacks

Israel Materials 25 November 2015 01:19 (UTC +04:00)
Palestinians face a dire situation during the current wave of violence between them and Israelis, US Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged in remarks on Tuesday after holding talks with President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.
Kerry: Israel has right to defend itself against Palestinian terror attacks

Palestinians face a dire situation during the current wave of violence between them and Israelis, US Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged in remarks on Tuesday after holding talks with President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

"I am pleased to stand here with you... to express our outrage at this kind of violence, to condemn this violence, and to make it clear that Israel not only has a right to defend itself; it has an obligation to do so," Kerry said before holding talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Later on Tuesday, Kerry also held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

"The United States will continue to stand with Israel in support of your desire to live in peace and stability without that violence," Kerry added.

The current wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence began in mid-September and has so far claimed the lives of 89 Palestinians and 19 Israelis.

"I know that the situation for Palestinians in the West Bank, in Jerusalem, in Gaza is, at this moment, very dire, that there are extraordinary concerns, obviously, about the violence," Kerry said, according to the US Department of State.

Kerry noted he held "a long and very constructive and serious conversation" with President Abbas.

"I want to make it very, very clear tonight that I am here... to try to help contribute to calm and to restore people's confidence in the ability of a two-state solution... to be achieved at some point," he said.

Kerry added that the United States is committed to such a solution, "two states with two peoples living side by side in peace and security."

Earlier on Tuesday, Kerry held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem in his latest effort to end the two-month-old wave of violence that has claimed the lives of 89 Palestinians and 19 Israelis so far.

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