Abbas must condemn violence, Kerry tells PM

Secretary of State John Kerry spoke on the telephone this evening with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and told him that Israelis have the right to defend themselves against “any violence” in the Old City of Jerusalem, elsewhere in the city and anywhere in the country.

The Palestinians, Kerry said according to media reports, must cease incitement and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas must condemn violence loudly and clearly.

Kerry told Netanyahu that Israel was battling terrorism with appropriate force, walking back previous statements from State Department speakers who said Israel may have been using excessive force.

Netanyahu and Kerry agreed to meet soon to discuss the situation, and their meeting will likely occur close to Netanyahu’s planned meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, planned for next week.