Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State John Kerry met (Tuesday, 24 June 2015), in Jerusalem and discussed regional security issues, with a focus on Syria and ISIS. They also discussed steps that can be taken to stop the wave of violence against Israeli citizens and to restore calm and stability.
Secretary Kerry expressed condolences for the Israeli victims of recent terror attacks. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Secretary Kerry also discussed ways in which the United States and Israel could further strengthen their security cooperation, in the face of regional instability.
President Reuven Rivlin held a working meeting at his residence with US Secretary of State John Kerry. The President stressed, "All free nations are facing the threat of radical Islam - which is the product of hate not of faith - and all of us must work together against this great evil. We do not need to apologize for our belief in freedom. At the same time, while the world continues to face this threat, it does not take away from our duty, here, to find a way, to build trust between us and the Palestinians, between us and our neighbors. We can and must show the world that we can live together in peace."
At the meeting with President Rivlin, Secretary Kerry said:
"I have had the privilege of coming to Israel for many years now. When I first visited Israel, I traveled in the north, to Kiryat Shemona where I saw what it was like for young children in the shelter, hiding from the Katushya rockets. I have climbed Masada, floated in the Dead Sea, and have traveled to Sderot, and seen the carcasses and shells of rockets which have come out of Gaza. I feel very much a part of Israel."
Sec. Kerry went on to speak of the strong and unbreakable bond between the two countries, and stressed that Israel had a right and an obligation to defend itself against threats to its citizens. He said, "The United States is very proud to be the friend and ally of Israel, a democracy in the Middle East. A strong country, though small, which shares our values about freedom and dignity, and respect for the individual. We honor this remarkable journey that Israel is on, as it sets an example to people by building a nation out of the desert, and breaking new frontiers in technology in medicine and so many other things."
He continued, "This is a difficult time, we all know that. When citizens can be murdered, like Ezra Schwartz, my citizen from Massachusetts, who was on a mission here to learn and to share, and when the citizens can be gunned down, like a soldier yesterday, and in the marketplace in Jerusalem, this is a challenge to all civilized people. We all have a responsibility to condemn that violence, to make it clear that you no frustration, no politics, no ideology, no emotion, justifies taking innocent lives."
He concluded, "I stand here with you to express our outrage at this kind of violence, to condemn this violence, and to make it clear that Israel not only has a right to defend itself, but has an obligation to do so. The United States will continue to stand with Israel in support of your desire to live in peace and stability, without that violence."