Kerry urges Abbas to resume peace talks with Israel
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E-mail Xinhua, May 26, 2013
The United States Secretary of State John Kerry is urging Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to resume direct peace talks with Israel, a well-informed Palestinian source said Saturday.
The source, which spoke on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that during their meeting held on Thursday in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Kerry presented to Abbas his plan on resuming direct talks with Israel.
The source added that Kerry and Abbas will meet again in Jordan on Sunday to get Israel's response to Kerry's plan which is expected to be announced on June.
"Kerry's plan on resuming the talks between the two sides doesn 't include all the basic Palestinian demands, but puts in considerations the Israeli goodwill gestures, mainly releasing prisoners detained before 1994 and expanding the Palestinian security control on larger West Bank areas," said the source.
According to the source, developing large economical projects in the Palestinian territories, such as an airport and housing units, and expanding the U.S. investment "are also part of the goodwill gestures."
The U.S. Administration has also appointed two aides to Kerry to help him in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts: one is expert in economy and the other expert in security affairs, the source revealed.
The source added that the Palestinian side, which faces heavy American pressure, "is trying to find a way to search for an alternative in case the peace talks fail," adding "there are large Palestinian and Arab debates on Kerry's plan."
Kerry has been exerting efforts since March 20 to resume the direct peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians which had stopped in October 2010 due to disputes on Israeli settlement construction.
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