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Arab League Endorses Kerry’s Plan for Resuming Peace Talks Arab League Endorses Kerry’s Plan for Resuming Peace Talks
(about 9 hours later)
AMMAN, Jordan — Arab League diplomats said in a statement on Wednesday that ideas proposed by Secretary of State John Kerry were a “good basis” for resuming peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, an endorsement that gave a significant boost to Mr. Kerry’s diplomatic efforts here. AMMAN, Jordan — In a strong signal that Israeli-Palestinian peace talks might soon be resumed, Arab League diplomats said Wednesday that the ideas proposed by Secretary of State John Kerry “lay the proper foundation to start the negotiations.”
Their statement came as Mr. Kerry met for the second time in two days with Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, and gave a separate presentation to Arab League diplomats in Amman on his Middle East peace efforts and on the topics of Syria and Egypt. The statement came on the eve of a meeting in Ramallah at which Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, is to confer with top Palestinian political leaders on the American initiative to renew the talks, which were last held in 2010.
The statement by the Arab League diplomats represented the first clear sign of progress toward resuming formal negotiations during Mr. Kerry’s six trips to the region. Robert Danin, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the Arab League statement served a “double function” by providing Mr. Abbas with “political cover to back off his preconditions for resumed negotiations” while putting “Arab pressure on Abbas to re-enter those talks.”
In their statement, the diplomats from the Arab League said the ideas that Mr. Kerry had proposed were a “suitable environment for restarting the negotiations, especially the new and important political, economic and security elements,” according to a translation from the Arabic. Diana Buttu, a Palestinian-Israeli lawyer who had worked for Mr. Abbas on negotiations, saw the statement as all but a commitment by the Palestinian president to resume talks. “On this issue, the Arab League does not move without the consent of Palestine,” she explained. “Any statement that comes out of the Arab League with regard to Palestine is essentially a statement by Mahmoud Abbas.”
At a joint news conference with his Jordanian counterpart, Mr. Kerry declined to give details of his ideas. He asserted that the gaps between the two sides' positions had been narrowed significantly but acknowledged that differences remained. Still, Mr. Kerry acknowledged in a news conference that while gaps between the Israelis and the Palestinians had narrowed, differences remained.
Mr. Kerry did identify two elements of his proposal: new investment projects to generate jobs for the Palestinians and an effort by Gen. John R. Allen, the former American commander in Afghanistan, to define Israel’s security requirements if a two-state solution is achieved. The Israelis have steadfastly rejected Mr. Abbas’s preconditions that the Israelis release long-jailed Palestinian prisoners, freeze settlement construction and agree that the negotiations be based on the 1967 boundaries with land swaps.
Flanked by his aides on the Middle East, Mr. Kerry also met on Wednesday with King Abdullah II of Jordan. Mr. Kerry’s dinner with Mr. Abbas on Tuesday night lasted for five hours. So Mr. Kerry has pursued an approach that highlights new investment to generate jobs for the Palestinians and an effort by Gen. John R. Allen, the former American commander in Afghanistan, to define Israel’s security requirements if a two-state solution is achieved. General Allen has already conferred with the Israeli military on the issue and will soon travel to the West Bank to meet with Palestinian officials.
The statement issued by Arab League diplomats, which the United States sought to provide momentum for the Americans’ efforts, followed two meetings here between Mr. Kerry and Mr. Abbas and a presentation by Mr. Kerry on Wednesday to a committee of Arab League diplomats.
The secretary of state declined to provide details of his presentation, but in a statement the diplomats affirmed their “full support” for his efforts and said they hoped it would lead to “serious negotiations to address all final status issues, end the conflict and achieve a just and comprehensive peace.”
The Israeli prime minister’s office declined to discuss the Arab League statement, though a senior Israeli official, speaking on the condition that he not be identified because of the delicacy of the situation, welcomed it.
Still, this official cautioned, “The crucial meeting is tomorrow in Ramallah.”
A P.L.O. official said he expected “decisions to be taken” at those sessions.

Michael R. Gordon reported from Amman, and Jodi Rudoren from Jerusalem.

Michael R. Gordon reported from Amman, and Jodi Rudoren from Jerusalem.