Kerry names Indyk peace envoy, calls for reasonable compromise

Secretary of State John Kerry, as expected, named veteran diplomat Martin Indyk his new special peace envoy, as Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams arrived in Washington Monday to begin direct talks for the first time in three years.

Indyk, 62, a former US envoy to Israel and Clinton peace negotiator, “knows what has worked and he knows what hasn't worked, and he knows how important it is to get this right," Kerry told reporters at the State Department Monday. “Ambassador Indyk is realistic. He understands that Israeli-Palestinian peace will not come easily and it will not happen overnight."

"But he also understands that there is now a path forward and we must follow that path with urgency," Kerry said.

Kerry called on the parties to be willing to make "reasonable compromises on tough, complicated, emotional and symbolic issues," the Associated Press reported. "I think reasonable compromises have to be a keystone of all of this effort.”