WASHINGTON (JTA) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry traveled to Jordan for consultations on the Middle East peace process.
Kerry left Monday evening for Amman, according to a statement from the State Department. He is scheduled to meet with Jordanian and Arab League officials and provide them “with an update on Middle East peace,” according to the statement.
Kerry has welcomed the Arab League’s revival of its 2002 peace initiative, which posited comprehensive peace in exchange for a return to the 1967 borders as the basis for restarting peace talks.
Qatar, which has led the revival of the peace initiative, has said the revived version would accommodate land swaps between Israel and the Palestinians. Until now, however, Kerry has been unable to return the sides to the negotiating table.
The Palestinians are demanding an Israeli settlement freeze and a number of other preconditions to return to peace talks. Israel’s government wants talks without preconditions.
Reports in the Israeli media said that Kerry would meet with Palestinian and Israeli officials during his Amman visit.
Kerry had put plans for such a visit last week on hold while he attended to his wife, Teresa, who was hospitalized.
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