Israeli opposition leader warns of third Palestinian intifada
Israel's opposition leader is calling on the government to work with the Palestinian Authority to prevent what he says could be a third Palestinian uprising.
Co-leader of the Zionist Union party and Labour Party's leader, Isaac Herzog, issued his call Tuesday after a rare meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at his West Bank headquarters.
The meeting came at a time of rising violence.
Hundreds of people attended a West Bank funeral Tuesday of a Palestinian man killed by Israeli forces after stabbing an Israeli police officer.
Anger also mounted after the killing of a Palestinian toddler, who was burned to death in an arson attack by suspected Jewish settlers in the West Bank in July.
The tensions have raised fears of a new uprising.
“The recent terrorist attacks could lead to a third inifada, which we must prevent with all the tools we have,” The Jerusalem Post reported Herzog as saying.
“We must have an uncompromising war on terror, and I am even more extreme than [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu on that subject,” he added.
Herzog stated that "first and foremost" the sides must work together to prevent further violence. He also said peace efforts must resume.
Peace talks broke down more than a year ago and show no signs of resuming.
But Herzog said both Israeli and Palestinians "need to feel that there is hope" and that will happen "if courageous steps are taken" to restart negotiations, including a true dialogue between leaders.
“We should not fear. We must dare and ensure a better future for our nations,” he stated.