(Jerusalem) – US Secretary of State John Kerry met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he pushed a framework for Middle East peace talks, amid growing tension with the Palestinians. The two met in Jerusalem, launching what is expected to be an intense four days of shuttle diplomacy between Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Kerry’s meeting with Netanyahu took five hours, officials said.
The top US diplomat will be meeting with his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman before meeting again with Netanyahu, and later in the day heading to the west Bank city of Ramallah for talks with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. Kerry has faced fierce opposition from both sides to any compromise on mostly irreconcilable demands since he kick-started direct negotiations in July after a three-year hiatus.
His latest visit, the 10th since March, comes with Palestinian and Israeli leaders accusing each other of lacking serious commitment to achieving a lasting peace. “I plan to work with both sides more intensely in these next days to narrow the differences on a framework that will provide the agreed guidelines for permanent status negotiations,” Kerry told.
