Kerry: No justification for violence against Israelis

US Secretary of State John Kerry meets with President Reuven Rivlin, telling him that he condemns Palestinian violence and sees no justification for it.

“This is a challenge to all civilized people. We all have a responsibility to condemn that violence, to make it clear that you know no frustration, no politics, no ideology, no emotion, justifies taking innocent lives,” he says according to Rivlin’s spokesperson, echoing earlier comments made with Netanyahu.”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.”

Kerry also mentions US terror victim Ezra Schwartz, who he says hailed from his home state of Massachusetts.

Rivlin tells Kerry that the world must unite against terror, but it doesn’t excuse Israel from seeking peace with the Palestinians.

“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,” he says, according to his spokesman.