Obama: Netanyahu Must Tone Down Rhetoric that Feeds Violence

In response to a violent orgy of Muslim terror stabbings of Jews in Jerusalem and elsewhere around Israel, the State Department condemned terrorism on both sides.

As the number of Israelis murdered during a streak of Palestinian terrorism continues to rise, the Obama administration sought to equate the sides and told reporters that, in its view, Israel is guilty of terrorism.

“Individuals on both sides of this divide are—have proven capable of, and in our view, are guilty of acts of terrorism,” State Department Spokesman John Kirby told reporters following questions about the spike in violence.

Kirby also said the administration has obtained “credible reports” of Israelis using excessive force as it deals with a rash of terrorist murders carried out by Palestinians seeking to cause havoc and spark an intifada.

“We’re always concerned about credible reports of excessive use of force against civilians, and we routinely raise our concerns about that.”

State couldn't give any actual examples of this excessive force, but it's not like the facts matter here. Kerry blamed the murder of Jews... on Jews.

A "massive increase in settlements" built by Israel in recent years has led to the "frustration" and "violence" now stoking its decades-old conflict with the Palestinians, US Secretary of State John Kerry said at Harvard University on Tuesday night.

In his most extensive comments yet on the terror wave– which has claimed the lives of dozens in the last two weeks– Kerry said a permanent resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was becoming increasingly elusive, thus aggravating tensions on the ground.

"What's happening is that, unless we get going, a two-state solution could conceivably be stolen from everybody," Kerry said. "And there's been a massive increase in settlements over the course of the last years, and now you have this violence because there's a frustration that is growing."

Now Obama has spoken out asking the PLO and Israel to tamp down the rhetoric.

Asked about the situation Friday, Obama stressed that Israel "has a right to maintain basic law and order and protect its citizens from knife attacks and violence on the streets."

At the same time, he said, "We also believe that it's important for both [Israeli] Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu and Israeli elected officials and [Palestinian] President [Mahmoud] Abbas and other people in positions of power to try to tamp down rhetoric that may feed violence or anger or misunderstanding."

A day earlier, Netanyahu appeared to take a swipe at the Obama administration and others who have urged both sides to stop the violence in Israel -- saying the country's "friends" should not "draw false symmetry" between Israeli victims and Palestinian attackers.

Obama isn't Israel's friend so it couldn't be referring to him.

What rhetoric is Netanyahu supposed to tamp down. Maybe Israel should stop all those broadcasts describing Israeli children who murder Muslims as martyrs? Oh sorry, those are broadcasts on the terrorist side.

This is an administration that has no problem condemning Israel. But it simply can't condemn their pet PLO terrorists. Even when they ask the PLO to stop inciting violence, they have to spread it around to both sides.

There's a difference between anger over terrorist attacks and actually promoting terrorist attacks. People have a right to be angry over terror attacks. Remember Bush with the bullhorn at Ground Zero. There's a big difference between that and celebrating and promoting the murder of Jews.

While PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas professes the PA’s alleged wish for peace, his own Fatah movement is busy glorifying murder as “a symphony of love for Jerusalem.”
 
The cartoon above tweeted by Fatah, shows a masked man playing a knife as a violin, using a key for bow which symbolizes the “return” of Palestinians on the backdrop of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. It warns Israelis of more stabbing murders - “If the occupation wants to hear it again and again...” It appeared on Fatah’s official Twitter account with the following text:

Obama needs to hear it again and again.