Kerry: Foreign presence not needed at Jerusalem site

US Secretary of State John Kerry said today that a proposed international presence at the Jerusalem holy site at the center of escalating Israeli, Palestinian tension and violence is not needed.
Instead, he said what is needed is clarity over pledges by Israel to maintain the status quo at the hilltop compound revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third-holiest shrine and a key national symbol for the Palestinians.
"We don't contemplate any change, but nor does Israel," Kerry told reporters at a news conference in Madrid. "Israel understands the importance of that status quo. What is important is to make sure everybody understands what that means. We are not seeking some new change. We are not seeking outsiders or others to come in."

"We need to have clarity," he said.
France has proposed action at the United Nations that could see an international presence to ensure the status quo at the site, where Jews are allowed to visit but not pray. Kerry noted that not only are the US and Israel opposed to the move, so is Jordan, which governs the agreement regarding the site.
The current outbreak of violence was fueled by rumors that Israel was plotting to take over the area. Israel has adamantly denied the allegations, saying there are no plans to change the status quo and accuses the Palestinians of incitement by spreading the rumors.

Kerry will be meeting this week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah and he said they would be looking "to be able to find a way of making certain that everybody is clear with what is happening with respect to the Temple Mount."

He said it is imperative that all sides take urgent action to end the "senseless" violence taking place in Israel and the West Bank.
Kerry, who plans to see Netanyahu in Berlin later this week and meet with Abbas in Jordan over the weekend, called on all sides to exercise restraint and refrain from actions that could escalate the situation.

He also pushed back on suggestions that diplomacy should take a back seat to the immediate goal of restoring stability. "Security and diplomacy go hand in hand," Kerry said. "There is not a time for one and then the other. There is an importance to both.