Kerry: Concrete progress has been made in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks

"I’m personally encouraged that very tough issues are beginning to take shape," says US secretary of state in interview with ABC.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
US Secretary of State John Kerry before his departure at Ben Gurion Airport, December 6, 2013. (photo credit: REUTERS/Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Pool)
US Secretary of State John Kerry before his departure at Ben Gurion Airport, December 6, 2013.
(photo credit: REUTERS/Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Pool)
US Secretary of State John Kerry said concrete progress has been made in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, but parties remain to keep a general silence on the issue in order to suppress "pressure," great expectations" and "opposition".
"I’m personally encouraged that very tough issues are beginning to take shape in terms of various options that may or may not be available to the leaders to choose between to help resolve it," Kerry said in an interview aired Sunday on ABC's "This Week".
He said that the current round of ongoing talks, which resumed in July, have come at a "different moment" from past efforts, which he hopes leaders will seize to progress work on the ground.
"I think what’s happening in the region, I think the fact of all the work that’s been done before has laid a pathway people can build on," he told ABC's Martha Raddatz.
The top US diplomat said due to the current dynamics in the Middle East, the realities of repercussions for not reaching an agreement have become pressing.  
"I think there are many options that have been vetted before that leave you a different set of choices," Kerry added.
The US secretary of state left the region on Friday after his latest meetings between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Kerry told reports after meeting with the leader that the two side remained committed to talks and were discussing a framework for a final-status agreement, which he saw as on course to reaching by April.