U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has stepped up efforts to get Israelis and Palestinians to the negotiating table, meeting with the Palestinian president while trying to get both sides to resume peace talks after nearly five years.
After meeting early on July 19 in Amman with chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, Kerry flew by helicopter to the West Bank town of Ramallah and met for about an hour with Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas.
Kerry also spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The talks came a day after the Palestinian leadership rejected the idea of dropping its main condition for talks with the Israelis.
The Palestinians want guarantees Israel will recognize pre-1967 borders as the basis for talks on their future state -- the borders before Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem.
After meeting early on July 19 in Amman with chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, Kerry flew by helicopter to the West Bank town of Ramallah and met for about an hour with Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas.
Kerry also spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The talks came a day after the Palestinian leadership rejected the idea of dropping its main condition for talks with the Israelis.
The Palestinians want guarantees Israel will recognize pre-1967 borders as the basis for talks on their future state -- the borders before Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem.