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Kerry Concludes Mideast Visit
(Ha'aretz) Barak Ravid - On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry concluded two months of talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. During that time he met privately and spoke on the phone with each of them at least 10 times. Before he left, the secretary made clear to Netanyahu and Abbas that he expects answers within one to two weeks. From statements Kerry made at the press conference, the outline of his plan for renewing negotiations begins with the renewal of direct talks without preconditions. During the talks, the parties will refrain from provocative statements or actions; that is, the Palestinians will avoid incitement against Israel, while Israel will stay away from moves relating to settlements. Kerry stressed that he does not want the issue of construction in the settlements to become a precondition that will prevent the resumption of talks, "because if you can negotiate borders, and if you negotiate security and get to a final settlement, you have resolved the issue of settlements themselves." Senior Palestinian officials said heavy pressure was being applied on President Abbas to renew talks without preconditions. "All the foreign ministers who were here in recent days urged Abu Mazen [Abbas] to accept Kerry's proposal," a senior Palestinian official said. A senior Israeli official said after Kerry's departure that Prime Minister "Netanyahu appreciates Kerry's efforts to restart negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians....We welcome his comments calling for the renewal of direct talks between the two sides....We are prepared to launch direct negotiations with the Palestinians immediately."