Kerry Urges 'Both Sides' - Palestinians and Israelis - to Ease Tensions

US Secretary John Kerry (L) with PA President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. (AP/Mohamad Torokman, File) (Mohamad Torokman/AP/File)

Medics at the scene of a Palestinian terror attack in Jerusalem last month. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Kerry is resuming efforts to bring Netanyahu and Abbas back to the peace table, calling on “both sides” to move forward, despite repeated Israeli overtures in contrast with the current wave of Palestinian terror endorsed by top-level PA officials.

US Secretary of State John Kerry says the violence between Israelis and Palestinians could “spin out of control” unless they take immediate steps to ease tensions.

Kerry is back in the United States after visiting Jerusalem and Ramallah for the first time in more than a year. On Tuesday, he met separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He says the US is pressing both sides to show a “genuine commitment” to a two-state solution to the conflict.

“As you know we’ve been very concerned about the violence and the potential for the situation to spin out of control,” Kerry told reporters after landing in Boston on Wednesday.

PM Benjamin Netanyahu. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

“I think we may be reaching a pivotal point now where both sides have important decisions to make for the future, and we obviously hope they make the choices that will advance the prospects for lasting peace,” he said.

The most recent US-led peace negotiations, lasting nine months and under Kerry’s direction, ended in failure in April 2014. Since then, Netanyahu has repeatedly invited Abbas to resume talks. The Palestinian response has been diplomatic warfare at the UN and the current wave of terror, incited by the Palestinian Authority. Since October 1, 21 Israelis have been killed and 177 wounded – 20 seriously – in attacks throughout the country several times a day.

By: AP and Terri Nir, United with Israel