U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry believes drawing up the borders of a future Palestinian state and agreeing to security arrangements for Israel will be "essential" if peace talks resume, the top U.S. negotiator has said.

In his most candid public comments since the nine-month negotiations collapsed last month, Martin Indyk described the behind-the-scenes atmosphere between Israelis and Palestinians and voiced hopes the talks would resume soon.

Tunisia's Islamist-dominated parliament on Friday questioned two ministers accused of promoting "normalization" with Israel, after Israeli tourists were controversially allowed into the North African country, which does not recognize the Jewish state.

A motion of censure was filed late last month against Tourism Minister Amel Karboul and Deputy Interior Minister for Security Ridha Sfar, with documents purporting to show that the latter give written authorization for the tourists to enter Tunisia earlier this year.

An Israeli unit failed on Friday in abducting shepherds in the southern town of Shebaa, opting instead to seize their cattle, reported the National News Agency.

It said that the unit crossed 400 meters into the Jabal al-Shahel region west of Shebaa where it tried to kidnap four shepherds.

Vandals sprayed anti-Christian graffiti on a Jerusalem church on Friday, despite Israeli police stepping up security around religious sites ahead of a visit by Pope Francis later this month.

"Price tag... King David for the Jews... Jesus is garbage" was spray-painted in Hebrew on the wall of St. George's, a Romanian Orthodox church near an ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhood.

U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice assured Israel at high-level talks on Thursday that Washington remained determined to stop Iran developing nuclear arms, the White House said.

"The U.S. delegation reaffirmed our commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon," said a White House statement released after talks in Jerusalem between Rice, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials from both sides.

U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice assured Israel at high-level bilateral talks on Thursday that Washington remained determined to stop Iran developing nuclear arms, the White House said.

"The U.S. delegation reaffirmed our commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon," said a White House statement released after talks in Jerusalem between Rice, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials from both sides.

Just weeks before Pope Francis visits the Holy Land, a string of racist attacks on Christian and Muslim sites is forcing Israel to reconsider how it should handle Jewish extremism.

The Roman Catholic church itself demanded Israel take action after Hebrew graffiti reading "Death to Arabs and Christians and to everyone who hates Israel" was daubed on its Notre Dame headquarters on the seamline between east and west Jerusalem on Monday.

Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners staged a one-day hunger strike on Thursday in solidarity with others who have been fasting for two weeks in protest at being imprisoned without trial.

"About 90 have been refusing food for two weeks," Israel Prisons Service spokeswoman Sivan Weizman told AFP.

Hamas must recognize the existence of Israel if the Palestinians are to move forward with their hopes of establishing their own state, former Egyptian foreign minister Amr Moussa said Wednesday.

"It is normal for the Palestinians to reconcile," Moussa said of a recent unity deal struck between the Hamas militants who run the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas praised on Wednesday evening the Maronite Patriarch's anticipated visit to Jerusalem, considering that it contributes to “strengthening Muslim-Christian coexistence as well as the Arabic identity” of the occupied Palestinian territories.

"We highly appreciate, respect and welcome Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi's visit to the Holy Land and meeting with the city's people,” Abbas said in a telephone call with Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, according to a statement published on the state-run National News Agency.