Kerry wins Arab League backing for Israeli-Palestinian peace bid

PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. secretary of state John Kerry has won Arab League backing for his effort to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, raising hopes that the stalled negotiations could resume.

Kerry cited significant progress in narrowing gaps between the two sides, but would not elaborate.

On his sixth trip to the Middle East in as many months as America's top diplomat, Kerry met representatives of the Arab League in Jordan, along with nine of its members that support an Arab-Israeli peace plan proposed by Saudi Arabia.

In a statement after the meeting, the Arab delegation endorsed Kerry's initiative, saying his ideas "constitute a good ground and suitable environment for restarting the negotiations, especially the new and important political, economic and security elements".

The statement was significant because it could give Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas the political cover he would need to sell a return to negotiations to a sceptical Palestinian public. Mr Abbas is to convene a meeting of the PLO leadership to discuss the matter.

Kerry met Abbas in Amman on Wednesday and the two also had a lengthy working dinner on Monday night.

At a news conference after the Arab League and Abbas meetings, Kerry mentioned "very wide" and "very significant" gaps between Israelis and Palestinians that had prevented the two sides from restarting talks when his efforts began several months ago. "Through hard and deliberate, patient work, and most importantly through quiet work we have been able to narrow those gaps very significantly," he said. "We continue to get closer and I continue to remain hopeful that the sides will soon be able to come to sit at the same table."