Kerry to meet Abbas as new Israeli settlements fan tensions

[Jefferson23]

3. Kerry: Israel, Palestinians, Jordan agree to act on Temple Mount crisis

Following tripartite meet in Amman, U.S. secretary of state says it is not the right moment' for Israel and the Palestinians to come together for peace talks right now.

By Barak Ravid | Nov. 13, 2014 |

Israel, the Palestinians and Jordan have agreed to take steps to de-escalate the crisis over the Temple Mount, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday.

Kerry was speaking after his tripartite meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jordanian monarch King Abdullah II in Amman, which focused on defusing the tensions over the holy site, and putting a stop to the violence that has flared up recently in East Jerusalem. In the past few weeks, the city has seen riots, terror attacks and an assassination attempt.

In the meeting, Israel and Jordan agreed to make sure they reduce tensions around the site, which is holy to Jews and Muslims, and restore confidence that the status quo there is upheld, Kerry said.

He also told reporters that Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel's commitment to the status quo and to implement measures to restore calm during the meet.

Referring to the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, Kerry said "it is not the right moment for the two sides to come together right now."

Also speaking after the meeting, Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said that Israel had given its commitment to respect Jordan's role in Jerusalem, as stated in the 1994 peace treatybetween the two countries.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.626387