On the second leg of his Mideast trip, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem today.
That's where the duo urged calm amid violence and reaffirmed their commitment to peace in the region.
Right after landing in Tel Aviv, Blinken was quick to urge restraint. "It's the responsibility of everyone to take steps to calm tensions, rather than inflame them; to work toward a day when people no longer feel afraid in their communities, in their homes, in their places of worship," he said.
But that's far from the violence that erupted last week, including a deadly synagogue attack in Jerusalem and an Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West bank.
Then Blinken headed off to a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu lauded President Biden for his commitment to the two countries' alliance, and called for peace.
"This alliance is something that President Biden is committed to. He's a true friend of Israel, a true champion of this alliance, as are you. I also believe that expanding the circle of peace, working to close, finally, the file of the Arab-Israeli conflict... I think would also help us achieve a workable solution with our Palestinian neighbours," said Netanyahu.
Blinken stressed the importance of a two-state solution, which would create an independent Palestinian state in territories captured by Israel in the 1967 war.
"We continue to believe that the best way to achieve it is through preserving and then realising the vision of two states. We want to make sure that there's an environment in which we can, I hope, at some point create the conditions where we can start to restore a sense of security for Israelis and Palestinians alike, which of course is sorely lacking," he added.
But Netanyahu's government is dominated by far-right members who oppose Palestinian statehood.
The last round of U.S.-sponsored talks on a two-state solution stalled in 2014.
Meantime, Israeli troops killed a 26-year-old Palestinian man after he tried to flee an inspection.
One Israeli official insists, Palestinians only have themselves to blame for the unrest.
"They wanted statehood, and the autonomy that they received during Oslo (Accords) was the preparation for statehood. What have they done with that autonomy? They've just allowed all this hatred to fester into terrorism," said Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, the Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem.
Blinken is due to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas tomorrow.
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