French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday January 29 urged Israelis and Palestinians not to "
feed the spiral of violence
" after the attacks in East Jerusalem and the death of a Palestinian, killed by Israeli guards.
During a telephone interview with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, “
the President of the Republic recalled the need for everyone to avoid measures likely to fuel the cycle of violence
”.
“
He once again expressed his availability to contribute to the resumption of dialogue between the Palestinians and the Israelis
,” underlined the French presidency.
Read alsoJerusalem still under high tension after a bloody weekend
The Head of State offered his condolences to the Israeli people for "
the victims of the terrorist attack
" in which seven people died on Friday near a synagogue in East Jerusalem.
He once again condemned this "
despicable attack
", "
expressed France's full and complete solidarity with Israel in its fight against terrorism
" and reiterated "
France's unwavering attachment to the security
" of this country. .
Deadly escalation
On Saturday, a 13-year-old Palestinian also shot and wounded two Israelis in Silwan, a stone's throw from the Old City walls.
Binyamin Netanyahu promised a “
strong
” and “
solid
” response to “
terrorism
” after the two attacks.
On Sunday, Israeli guards also killed a Palestinian in the West Bank.
The attacks in East Jerusalem followed a deadly Israeli military raid on Thursday in the occupied West Bank, followed by rocket fire from Gaza into Israel and retaliatory Israeli airstrikes.
Read alsoShootings in East Jerusalem: the government announces measures against “terrorist families”
The two leaders also discussed the regional situation, in particular the progress of the Iranian nuclear program in violation of the international agreement concluded in 2015. The French president underlined "
the necessary firmness in the face of increasingly worrying developments and the lack of transparency Iranians
”.
"
He recalled that Iranian support for Russian aggression in Ukraine exposed Iran to sanctions and growing isolation
," continued the Elysee.
Pope Francis laments 'death spiral'
Pope Francis also lamented on Sunday January 29 the growing "
spiral of death
" in the Middle East, calling on both parties to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to engage in "
the sincere search for peace
".
He cited Thursday's Israeli raid on a Palestinian camp in the West Bank, which killed ten people, and Friday's attack on a Palestinian man who killed seven people near a synagogue in Jerusalem.
"
Since the beginning of the year, dozens of Palestinians have been killed in firefights with the Israeli army
", he recalled, before calling on "
the two governments and the international community to find other solutions without delay, including dialogue and the sincere search for peace
".
Moscow calls on Israelis and Palestinians to “responsibility”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on Israelis and Palestinians on Sunday for "maximum responsibility" and to avoid any further deterioration in the situation, during telephone talks with his Israeli and Palestinian counterparts.
He “
called on the Israeli and Palestinian partners to show maximum responsibility and to refrain from any action likely to cause a further deterioration of the situation
,” the Russian ministry said in a statement.
Read also“It was the price to pay for Palestine”: released after 40 years in prison, the intact determination of Maher Younes
The head of Russian diplomacy met with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and with his Palestinian counterpart Riyad Al-Maliki.
During these calls, “
the Russian side underlined that Moscow was seriously concerned about the new round of violence
” in the region.
A condemnation from Washington
Washington also condemned the "
appalling
" attack in East Jerusalem.
Antony Blinken, head of American diplomacy, currently visiting Cairo, will urge Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to “
take urgent measures for de-escalation
”.
Antony Blinken's visit to Israel reflects Washington's desire to reconnect with Benyamin Netanyahu, head of the most right-wing government in Israel's history.
It comes after that of the National Security Advisor of the White House, Jake Sullivan.
In Israel, the head of American diplomacy will insist on "
the importance of maintaining the historic status quo
" on the esplanade of the Mosques in East Jerusalem, a hotbed of tension between Israelis and Palestinians.
This site is the third holiest in Islam and the holiest in Judaism.
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/JNAMK37HFIZKML76SWBTDTD3QI.jpg)
