Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he is willing to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the deadly violence that is happening in the region.
"I think it's potentially useful because it might stop the wave of incitement and false allegations against Israel," Netanyahu said. "I'd be open to meeting with Arab leaders and the Palestinian leadership in order to stop this incitement and set the record straight."
Some Palestinians are falsely claiming the rules for how people can worship at the al-Aqsa mosque— a holy site to both Muslims and Jews— have changed and says Israeli police are executing innocent civilians, according to Netanyahu.
Secretary of State John Kerry condemned the recent spate of terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians, saying there was no justification for violence and offering a more full-throated support for the Jewish state than previous U.S. statements.
Kerry, who plans to visit the Mideast next week, said the United States backs Israel's "right to defend its existence."
