After conferences between Israel, Palestine and Saudi Arabia, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry noted that peace accords between Israel and Palestine seem tangible.
On Sunday, Kerry said that while Israel and Palestine were nearing an agreement on their peace accords, he said such peace seemed shaky. He then requested aid from Saudi Arabia’s king Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, who agreed to help the peace accords, said The Jerusalem Post.
Reuters notes that the main issues between peace involves border control, security, the Palestinian refugees and the fate of Jerusalem. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman noted that peace with Palestine would involve an “exchange of populations and territory” with a future Palestinian state.
Kerry proposed that Palestine institute an international or an American-Jordanian force in the Jordan Valley, and according to The Jerusalem Post, Kerry said that Palestine agreed to this institution.
“If the parties could arrive at a peaceful resolution, you could instantaneously have peace between the 22 Arab nations and 35 Muslim nations, all of whom have said they will recognize Israel if peace is achieved,” said Kerry, who noted that peace between these Middle Eastern countries would result in profitable trade, tourism, exchange of technology and job opportunities for the next generation.
However, according to Reuters, Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz expressed his doubts about Kerry’s proposal. “We see the strong incitement and anti-Semitism of the Palestinian Authority led by (Abbas) as a main obstacle on the road to an agreement,” he said.
Meanwhile, Palestinian civilians have been protesting Kerry’s peace talks, chanting at Kerry, “There’s no place for you in Palestine!”