U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shuttled from Israel to the Palestinians’ West Bank, appealing for an end to resurgent violence and reaffirming Washington’s backing for a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict. Blinken is urging calm on both sides after last week’s killing by a Palestinian gunman of seven people outside a Jerusalem synagogue and anger among Palestinians over actions by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank. “That’s the only way that we can create conditions in which people’s sense of security will start to improve,” he told a news conference in Jerusalem. He took that message into a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, warning all parties against any action that could threaten a two-state solution, with an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. “We’ve been clear that this includes things like settlement expansion, the legalization of outposts, demolitions and evictions, disruptions to the historic status of the holy sites, and of course incitement and acquiescence to violence.” (https://neuters.de/world/middle-east/blinken-takes-support-two-state-solution-disillusioned-palestinians-2023-01-31/) He said he had heard “deep concern” about the current trajectory in both Israel and the West Bank but also constructive ideas and he had asked senior officials to remain behind to continue talking. A senior State Department official said the officials staying would be Barbara Leaf, the top department official for the Middle East, and Hady Amr, U.S. special representative for Palestinian affairs.