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| John Kerry Urges an End to ‘All Incitement and All Violence’ in Israel | John Kerry Urges an End to ‘All Incitement and All Violence’ in Israel |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| BERLIN — With Israelis and Palestinians caught in another widening cycle of bloodshed, Secretary of State John Kerry met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in Berlin on Thursday and urged him to tone down the harsh language that American and European officials believe is fueling the violence. | |
| The message being delivered on Thursday to Mr. Netanyahu, who claimed this week that a Muslim cleric had inspired the Holocaust, will be repeated in the coming days when Mr. Kerry meets the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, whose own comments Mr. Netanyahu and others have blamed for provoking attacks. | The message being delivered on Thursday to Mr. Netanyahu, who claimed this week that a Muslim cleric had inspired the Holocaust, will be repeated in the coming days when Mr. Kerry meets the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, whose own comments Mr. Netanyahu and others have blamed for provoking attacks. |
| At the center of the crisis is a long-running dispute over Israel’s management of an Old City holy site, known as the Temple Mount to Jews and the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims, and the country’s recent efforts to limit access to the area by young men who it says are instigating violence. | At the center of the crisis is a long-running dispute over Israel’s management of an Old City holy site, known as the Temple Mount to Jews and the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims, and the country’s recent efforts to limit access to the area by young men who it says are instigating violence. |
| “It is absolutely critical to end all incitement and all violence and find a road forward to build a possibility, that’s not there today, for a larger process,” Mr. Kerry told reporters in brief remarks at the beginning of his talks with Mr. Netanyahu. “Today, we, you and I, can rekindle that process. We’ve been at this, we know each other well, I believe we have the ability to make a difference.” | “It is absolutely critical to end all incitement and all violence and find a road forward to build a possibility, that’s not there today, for a larger process,” Mr. Kerry told reporters in brief remarks at the beginning of his talks with Mr. Netanyahu. “Today, we, you and I, can rekindle that process. We’ve been at this, we know each other well, I believe we have the ability to make a difference.” |
| Mr. Kerry said that he had also spoken by phone with King Abdullah II of Jordan and with Mr. Abbas in the past 24 hours, and that he was planning to travel to Amman, Jordan, on Saturday to meet with them both. | Mr. Kerry said that he had also spoken by phone with King Abdullah II of Jordan and with Mr. Abbas in the past 24 hours, and that he was planning to travel to Amman, Jordan, on Saturday to meet with them both. |
| “I believe people want this to de-escalate,” Mr. Kerry said. “So let’s go to work and see what we can do.” | “I believe people want this to de-escalate,” Mr. Kerry said. “So let’s go to work and see what we can do.” |
| Still, American officials appeared to be going into the talks with limited expectations, and Mr. Kerry did not seem to have come with detailed proposals to keep the violence from spiraling into a broader conflict, or to clarify the status of the holy site. | Still, American officials appeared to be going into the talks with limited expectations, and Mr. Kerry did not seem to have come with detailed proposals to keep the violence from spiraling into a broader conflict, or to clarify the status of the holy site. |
| Since last month, Israeli forces have killed about 20 Palestinians involved in attacks and about 30 more in clashes with security forces. Eight Israeli Jews have been killed in stabbings by Palestinian assailants and other violence. | |
| Before sitting down with Mr. Kerry on Thursday, Mr. Netanyahu returned to a familiar theme in blaming Palestinians for the violence. He called on other countries to pressure Mr. Abbas to stop telling “lies” about Israel’s management of the holy site, and he said that the Palestinian leader’s statements were responsible for the violence. | |
| His language, however, appeared softer than in recent statements. This week, he said that the grand mufti of Jerusalem had given Hitler the idea of annihilating European Jews, although he later backed off that claim. | |
| But Mr. Netanyahu’s comments on Thursday were far from conciliatory, and he sought to portray Israelis as victims who sought only to defend themselves. | But Mr. Netanyahu’s comments on Thursday were far from conciliatory, and he sought to portray Israelis as victims who sought only to defend themselves. |
| “There is no question that this wave of attacks was driven directly by incitement, the incitement of Hamas, the incitement of the Islamist movement in Israel and the incitement, I am sorry to say, from President Abbas and the Palestinian Authority,” Mr. Netanyahu said. “I think it is time for the international community to state clearly to President Abbas: Stop spreading lies about the state of Israel.” | “There is no question that this wave of attacks was driven directly by incitement, the incitement of Hamas, the incitement of the Islamist movement in Israel and the incitement, I am sorry to say, from President Abbas and the Palestinian Authority,” Mr. Netanyahu said. “I think it is time for the international community to state clearly to President Abbas: Stop spreading lies about the state of Israel.” |
| He added, “To stop the terrorism, we have to stop the incitement.” | He added, “To stop the terrorism, we have to stop the incitement.” |
| Mr. Netanyahu was in Berlin for regular consultations between Israel and Germany, a relationship that the german chancellor, Angela Merkel, has worked hard to maintain. After meeting with Mr. Netanyahu on Wednesday, Ms. Merkel reiterated that support for Israel is among the basic tenets of German foreign policy. | |
| At the same time, Germany is grappling with the deepening realization that the problems in the Middle East have reached its doorstep, as hundreds of thousands of migrants have sought refuge within its borders. | At the same time, Germany is grappling with the deepening realization that the problems in the Middle East have reached its doorstep, as hundreds of thousands of migrants have sought refuge within its borders. |
| The German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a strong believer in Berlin’s mantra of combining diplomacy and, where helpful, money, has just returned from a four-day trip to the Middle East. Mr. Steinmeier gave no evidence of any concrete results as far as progress toward peace, however. | The German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a strong believer in Berlin’s mantra of combining diplomacy and, where helpful, money, has just returned from a four-day trip to the Middle East. Mr. Steinmeier gave no evidence of any concrete results as far as progress toward peace, however. |
| He began the trip with his first visit to Iran in his two terms as foreign minister. But the friendship Mr. Steinmeier forged with the Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, during months of negotiating an accord on Iran’s nuclear program did not appear to yield any dividends when it came to enlisting Tehran’s support for ending the violence in Syria. Iran has provided crucial support to President Bashar al-Assad there. | He began the trip with his first visit to Iran in his two terms as foreign minister. But the friendship Mr. Steinmeier forged with the Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, during months of negotiating an accord on Iran’s nuclear program did not appear to yield any dividends when it came to enlisting Tehran’s support for ending the violence in Syria. Iran has provided crucial support to President Bashar al-Assad there. |
| Mr. Steinmeier then went to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he also failed to make any progress with the Saudis, who are backing the rebels battling Mr. Assad. | Mr. Steinmeier then went to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he also failed to make any progress with the Saudis, who are backing the rebels battling Mr. Assad. |
| In Jordan, his final stop, he noted in a speech at a European-Middle East conference that there were few countries in the world that were geographically close and yet did not have direct passenger flights between them. | In Jordan, his final stop, he noted in a speech at a European-Middle East conference that there were few countries in the world that were geographically close and yet did not have direct passenger flights between them. |
| “But I just came from one,” he said, explaining that Iran and Saudi Arabia have no such links and suggesting, without saying so explicitly, that the lack of flights illustrated deep differences. | “But I just came from one,” he said, explaining that Iran and Saudi Arabia have no such links and suggesting, without saying so explicitly, that the lack of flights illustrated deep differences. |
| He described the situation in the Middle East as “precarious” and “bleak.” | He described the situation in the Middle East as “precarious” and “bleak.” |