American Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday implicitly criticised Palestinian leaders for not condemning attacks against Israelis, as an upsurge in violence marred his visit.
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Biden met with Rivlin after a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israeli officials described as “friendly, cordial and warm”.
There were six separate attacks before and after Biden’s arrival on Tuesday, including an attack which killed an American tourist.
Since October, Palestinian stabbings, shootings and vehicle rammings have killed 28 Israelis and two USA citizens. Police are investigating whether he was shot by the gunmen or by police.
At least three other attacks by Palestinians occurred Tuesday, and the violence continued unabated on Wednesday with two shootings in Jerusalem.
Biden on Wednesday condemned Fatah’s glorification of the stabber.
The attacker, Ahmed Amer, 16, asked his parents for forgiveness in a scribbled note.
In a separate incident later in the morning, a 16-year-old Palestinian tried to stab Israeli forces at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank and was shot dead, the army said. The Israeli fled the scene and police are searching for him.
His predecessor, Laurent Fabius, had stirred Israeli anger in January by proposing such a conference and saying France would “recognise a Palestinian state” if peace talks failed.
It also described the attacker, who was also killed, as a “hero” and a “martyr”.
In all, twenty-nine Israelis and four foreign nationals have been killed in a wave of Palestinian terrorism and violence since October.
The Palestinians accuse Israel of using excessive force in trying to subdue more than five months of near-daily Palestinian attacks.
The number of attacks has diminished recently, but increased Israeli security has failed to stop them entirely.
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Israeli police also stated both of yesterday’s attackers from the West Bank had entered into Israel illegally, and did not possess any special travel or work permits.
