Kerry Heads to Mideast for More Israeli-Palestinian Talks
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is under pressure on his 10th visit to the Middle East to show tangible progress toward an Israeli-Palestinian settlement after passing the midpoint of a nine-month timetable he set for resolution of core differences.
The top U.S. diplomat, set to return to the region on New Years Day, will meet in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and in Ramallah with Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, Jen Psaki, a State Department spokeswoman, said Dec. 28 in a statement.
One symbolic sign of movement would be a face-to-face meeting between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders as Kerry seeks to narrow differences -- over borders, security, the rights of refugees and the status of Jerusalem -- that have confounded U.S.-led efforts at mediation for years.
Right now, the effort is to reach a framework agreement that will guide the negotiations in the direction of a final deal that will end the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro said yesterday in an interview on Israels Army Radio. While the framework agreement could be more detailed, or less detailed, it has to let the two sides know where the talks are heading, he said.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-28/kerry-heads-to-mideast-for-more-israeli-palestinian-talks.html