U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled this week to hold meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and Jordan’s King Abdullah II.
Kerry will meet with Netanyahu later this week in Berlin. The Israeli Prime Minister has already make clear to the Secretary of State that Israel is not prepared to offer any further concessions amidst the Palestinians’ terror campaign against Jews, Netanyahu’s office told the Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
Netanyahu will demand that Palestinian leaders stop inciting their constituents to engage in acts of terrorism, officials added.
Beforehand, Netanyahu will meet separately with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to the report.
Netanyahu said Sunday during a security cabinet meeting that some states in the international community are continuing their extreme hostility towards Israel.
“We are preserving the status quo” on the Temple Mount, Netanyahu insisted, amid calls from the UN to send an international observer force to Jerusalem, Israel’s capital. “We are the only ones doing that, and will continue to do this responsibly and seriously,” he added.
Sec. Kerry backed Netanyahu on Monday, saying it was not necessary for a new international force to appear in Jerusalem.
“We don’t contemplate any change, but nor does Israel,” Kerry said Monday in Madrid. “Israel understands the importance of that status quo. What is important is to make sure everybody understands what that means. We are not seeking some new change. We are not seeking outsiders or others to come in.”
After Thursday’s talks with the Israeli leader, he will meet in Europe with the Foreign Ministers of Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey to discuss the ongoing turmoil in Syria.
“This is a human catastrophe unfolding before our eyes and it is a catastrophe that now threatens the integrity of a whole group of countries throughout the region,” he said of the Syria situation on Monday.
Sec. Kerry will then travel to the Middle East over the weekend to meet with Abbas and Abdullah.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.