Enlarge image
Blinken in Tel Aviv: In Israel, the US Secretary of State meets Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
Photo: Ronaldo Schemidt/AP
In just a few days, numerous people have died in acts of violence in Israel.
Amidst the heated situation, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has now arrived in the country for a long-planned visit.
To begin with, he appealed to Israelis and Palestinians to work towards defusing the conflict.
Upon arrival at Tel Aviv airport, Blinken condemned those celebrating the violence in Jerusalem and "any other act of terrorism that has claimed innocent lives."
"It is everyone's responsibility to take action to calm tensions rather than fuel them," the US diplomat said.
This is the only way to stop the growing wave of violence "which has already claimed too many lives - too many Israelis and too many Palestinians."
Blinken will hold talks with both sides – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday in Jerusalem and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday in Ramallah.
Blinken had previously called on "all parties" to "calm the situation and de-escalate tensions" during a visit to Egypt.
Egypt is an important mediator in the Middle East conflict.
Blinken met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri before traveling to Israel.
Wave of violence shakes Israel
On Friday, an armed Palestinian killed seven people in front of a synagogue in East Jerusalem. Another attack followed on Saturday, in which a 13-year-old Palestinian in East Jerusalem seriously injured two Israelis.
Earlier on Thursday, ten Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers in a raid on a refugee camp in the West Bank.
This Monday, Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank killed a Palestinian driver, officials from both sides said.
According to the Israeli army, the car had previously hit a soldier.
The 26-year-old died of "a gunshot wound to the head" that the occupying soldiers inflicted on him "this morning in Hebron," the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.
That brings the number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem this month - including militants, civilians and several children - to 35, according to a count by the AFP news agency.
calls for de-escalation
French President Emmanuel Macron also called for a de-escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In a phone call to Netanyahu, Macron warned of a "spiral of violence," as the Élysée Palace announced on Sunday.
Macron therefore condemned the "disgusting attack" in front of the synagogue in East Jerusalem and promised Israel the "unlimited solidarity of France in the fight against terrorism".
more on the subject
Palestinian attacker shoots seven people dead in Jerusalem: The Synagogue MurdersBy Richard C. Schneider, Tel Aviv
Blinken's visit to the Middle East also reflects efforts by President Joe Biden's administration to quickly ease ties with Netanyahu.
Netanyahu returned to power in December after a year and a half.
Relations with Netanyahu had been strained during the tenure of former US President Barack Obama, for whom Biden had served as Vice President.
During his visit, Blinken was expected to reaffirm US support for the two-state solution and with it a Palestinian state of its own.
However, implementation of this model is unlikely to be pursued under the new Netanyahu government – Israel's most right-wing government to date
asc/AFP