Kerry in Israel on new Mideast peace push

S Secretary of State John Kerry met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday 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, which included a joint dinner, took five hours, officials said.

The top US diplomat will be meeting with his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman on Friday morning before meeting again with Netanyahu, and later in the day heading to the west Bank city of Ramallah for talks with Palestinian president Mahmud 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 reporters before meeting Netanyahu.

“An agreed framework would be a significant breakthrough.”

Netanyahu repeated that he did not believe the Palestinians were taking the process seriously.

“Unfortunately, given the actions and words of Palestinian leaders, there’s growing doubt in Israel that the Palestinians are committed to peace,” he said.

“A few days ago in Ramallah, president Abbas embraced terrorists as heroes… How can he say that he stands against terrorism when he embraces the perpetrators of terrorism and glorifies them as heroes?”

Netanyahu was referring to Israel’s release of the third of four batches of 104 veteran Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture agreed under the talks process.

A State Department official said ahead of Kerry’s trip that he aims to hammer out a framework to guide the sides through the tough final months of talks, due to end in late April.