(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Visiting US State Secretary John Kerry on Monday said Israel has the right to protect its citizens from "random acts of violence," urging the Israelis and the Palestinians to practice self-restraint.
Kerry made the statement in a joint news conference with his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Garcia-Margallo in Madrid.
He stressed Washington's concern about "Israel's security" saying they want violence to come to a halt and situations to be clarified.
The US Secretary noted that he would visit the region over the coming days for talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials and Jordan's King Abdullah II, in an effort to clarify the recent incidents in Al-Aqsa Mosque.
On Syria, Kerry said that he would meet during the visit with officials from Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia to explore "real and tangible options" for a peaceful political transition in Syria.
He stressed the need for a solution to curb the flow of Syrian refugees into neighboring countries and Europe, after they came to form a real problem and a hard challenge.
In addition, Kerry reiterated the prior importance of fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) to stop their destruction of human history and civilization in the region.
For his part, the Spanish Foreign Minister said a ceasefire is urgently needed in Syria to give a chance to deliver humanitarian aid and in the meantime to stop the flow of refugees into Europe, opening the door for a political transition in the country.
The best political solution in Syria will be "without (president) Bahsar Al-Asad," he said.
He also called for shunning the mistakes that were previously committed in Iraq and Syria, and establishing "an all-inclusive secular regime" in Syria.
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