Kerry lands in Jordan to discuss peace talks with King Abdullah

US secretary of state departs Rome, stops in Jordan for visit with king to to discuss Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
John Kerry departing Israel, January 6, 2014 (photo credit: U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv)
John Kerry departing Israel, January 6, 2014
(photo credit: U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv)
US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Jordan on Friday for talks with King Abdullah II, AFP reported.
The visit was previously unannounced.
Spokeswoman Marie Harf, traveling with the secretary of state, said that the intention of the visit was to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
"We are arriving in Aqaba, Jordan, with Foreign Minister Judeh today to see King Abdullah to talk about the peace process," Harf said.
 
Last week, Kerry appealed for patience on Iran and for trust and compassion on peace with the Palestinian people, calling for “fear to be defeated” in a forceful address to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
“It is no mystery what the endgame really looks like,” Kerry said. “We’re at a point in history that requires the United States, as Israel’s closest friend and the world’s preeminent power, to help end this conflict once and for all.”
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas believe a two-state solution will require the recognition of  “two states for two peoples,” he said, without explicitly addressing a requirement of the Israeli government that Palestinians recognize Israel as the Jewish homeland.
“We’re not doing this on a whim and a prayer,” he said.
Kerry’s efforts to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians have earned him praise from parties across the aisle, including AIPAC, which has effectively sidelined the issue in recent years to focus its lobbying efforts on Iran and its nuclear program.