Spokeperson for the US State Department John Kirby
Washington, 2 Muharram/15 October 2015 (MINA) – The US on Wednesday said that the stabbing of four Arab men in Dimona, Israel, last week constituted an act of terrorism, and again urged both sides to “de-escalate tensions”.
State Department Spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that Secretary of State John Kerry “wants both sides to take affirmative actions, both in rhetoric and in action…to restore calm, and to try to move forward towards a two-state solution,” Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) quoted Kuwait News Agency Kuna as resporting.
He added that Kerry “well understands that there’s a lot of nuance and context behind the violence that’s occurring recently [and] was careful not to affix blame in either direction on this in terms of past practices…he understands that there’s disenfranchisement, there’s disgruntlement, there’s frustration on both sides that have led to this.”
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Kirby said the Obama Administration is “not going to dictate immediate…security requirements onto Israel,” and affirmed that “the Israeli government has a right and a responsibility to protect its citizens”.
“We’ve certainly seen some reports of what many would consider an excessive use of force. Obviously, we don’t like to see that,” he said.
Tensions have boiled over in the region following the storming of the Al-Aqsa mosque by Israeli troops earlier this month, when Palestinians responded with stones and firebombs. (T/R07/R01)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
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