Kerry says Israel has a right to defend itself!

JERUSALEM — Secretary of State John Kerry touched down in Israel for the first time in over a year, amid a new rash of deadly attacks by Palestinians directed at Israeli civilians.

Ahead of his trip, Kerry conceded he was coming without the ambitious agenda of past visits and was primarily focused on stemming the violence.

With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nodding, Kerry said Israel had a right and obligation to defend itself and that “no people anywhere should live with daily violence, with attacks in the streets with knives, with scissors, with cars.”

At the same time, he said he would speak with Netanyahu about how “to push back against terrorism, to push back against senseless violence, and to find a way forward to restore calm and begin to provide opportunities.”

“There can be no peace when we have an onslaught of terror, not here, not anywhere else,” Netanyahu said as he welcomed the chief American diplomat.

Kerry was to travel to the West Bank for discussions with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later on Tuesday.

In the current spate of violence, which erupted in mid-September, 19 Israelis have been killed, mostly in stabbings. The past week has been the deadliest thus far.

Kerry told reporters traveling with him in the Middle East that the U.S. was prepared to re-engage in a serious peace effort, and said “we have ideas for how things could proceed.”

“But this street violence doesn’t provide any leader with a framework within which they can look their people in the eye and say, ‘There’s a reason to be sitting down and talking about this or that,’ “ he added. “People aren’t in the mood for concessions. They’re in the mood for being tough.”

Netanyahu told Kerry that Israel would fight “every hour” against those committing and inciting violence, linking his government’s efforts to the international campaign against the Islamic State group and other extremist forces.

“It’s not only our battle; it’s everyone’s battle,” he said. “It’s a battle of civilization against barbarism.”

Abbas, for his part, has provided no indication that he wants to restart direct peace talks with the Israelis anytime soon.

Israel says the recent violence stems from Palestinian incitement and incendiary videos on social media. The Palestinians say it is rooted in frustration over almost five decades of Israeli occupation and little hope for obtaining independence. Palestinians also accuse Israel of using excessive force, saying some attackers can be stopped without being killed.

Associated Press contributed to this report.