Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen spoke on Tuesday with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, discussing an Israeli-American effort to widen the circle of peace and stabilize the region's security.

The top envoys addressed the issue of escalating tensions in the West Bank. Cohen declared that the Israeli government "will continue to fight Palestinian terrorism to the bitter end and protect its citizens." 

The Israeli foreign minister brought up the importance of coordination between Israel, the United States and the need to strengthen security cooperation with the Palestinian Authority to prevent further escalation in the West Bank. 

"Widening the U.S.-led circle of normalization and peace in the Middle East will advance the entire region and bring security, prosperity and stability,” Cohen stated. “We will continue to work to build and strengthen our relationships with other countries in the Middle East and beyond.

He stressed that “Iran directs terrorism throughout the Middle East, from Lebanon and Syria, through Iraq and Yemen, to Hamas and [Palestinian] Islamic Jihad. The international community must act decisively and unambiguously to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.”

Blinken insisted that the Israeli government do “much more” to prevent attacks by settlers against Palestinian civilians, a source told the local Walla! News.

The Israeli foreign minister also updated his American counterpart on Israel’s progress toward requirements for the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. And the two discussed a new date for the Negev Forum, which would include new countries in the normalization effort.