US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that anti-Semitism in the US is an important issue that "must be addressed" during his visit to Israel this week.
In an interview with Channel 12 News journalist Yonit Levy Wednesday, Blinken said that the recent wave of anti-Semitic violence in the US "is deeply disturbing. When I see it, I also feel it personally, but I also see it as a warning, a warning, that things are happening that we must address because if they allow it to grow and develop, if they let it continue without justice, you get a result that affects a lot of people."
Blinken was in Israel to meet with Israeli and Arab leaders to discuss efforts to strengthen thee recent ceas-fire with Hamas and to reaffirm the Biden Administration's intentions to renew relations with the Palestinian Authority.
Speaking to the press following the first round of meetings yesterday, Blinken said: "Across the meetings that I've held so far, I've heard a shared recognition from all sides that steps need to be taken, work needs to be done, to address the underlying conditions that helped fuel this latest conflict. The cease-fire creates space to begin to take those steps. Attending to the urgent humanitarian needs of Palestinians in Gaza and helping to rebuild is a key starting point."
"Leaders on both sides will need to chart a better course, starting by making improvements in the lives of the people of Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. I'm convinced that if they do, they will find willing partners in both Israeli and Palestinian civil society," he said.