WEST BANK: United States Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in West Bank for talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas

Record ID: 564729

  • Title: WEST BANK: United States Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in West Bank for talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
  • Date: 6th November 2013
  • Summary: BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (NOVEMBER 6, 2013) (REUTERS) PRESIDENTIAL PALACE SECURITY OUTSIDE PALACE KERRY'S CONVOY ARRIVES KERRY STEPPING OUT OF CAR KERRY ENTERS PALACE VARIOUS OF KERRY AND ABBAS IN MEETING DELEGATIONS IN MEETING
  • Embargoed: 21st November 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: West bank
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA2E0AOYEHXINRJU63WCQ930J1Q
  • Story Text: United States Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Bethlehem on Wednesday (November 6) to hold talks with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
    Kerry, whose shuttle diplomacy helped to revive the land-for-peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians last July after a three-year break, has said earlier that he was confident the parties had "the ability to make progress" in the six months remaining in a nine-month target window for a deal.
    But he also acknowledged the negotiations had run into difficulties, and spoke of a need for "real compromises and hard decisions" from both sides.
    Earlier Kerry met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem who has said peace talks with the Palestinians had failed to make real progress so far and that he hoped visiting U.S. Secretary of State could get them back on track.
    The grim picture painted by Netanyahu was similar to the one sketched by top Palestinians who have said an Israeli plan for 3,500 more settler homes in the occupied West Bank was a major obstacle to the success of the negotiations.
    Few details have emerged from the negotiations, held at unannounced times and at secret locations in line with pledges to keep a lid on leaks.
    But Palestinian officials have been airing their frustration over a lack of movement on core issues such as the borders of a Palestinian state, security arrangements, the future of Israeli settlements and the fate of Palestinian refugees.
    Abbas, in a speech broadcast on Monday, said that after all the rounds of negotiations there was "nothing on the ground".
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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