What Will Kerry Accomplish In Palestine?
Daoud Kuttab surveys the issues surrounding US Secretary of State John Kerry's visit to the region and his chances of kick-starting Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.
It is not clear why US Secretary of State John Kerry chose to visit Ramallah and meet with Palestinian leaders before meeting with the Israelis. Is it a gesture to the Palestinians, or does he think he needs to get more out of them this round than from the Israelis? Is it just a scheduling issue related to Jewish holidays?
Whatever the reason, one thing is clear: There is a lot more happening behind the scenes than in public. Observers of previous talks have always said that secrecy is one of the most important conditions for any successful progress in the Middle East.
What is known from the Abbas-Kerry meeting, however, is very important.
Palestinians are demanding a clear and detailed map of where the western borders of Palestine will be. The significance of this is obvious. With Palestinians failing to reverse or even freeze settlement activities in occupied Palestine, the demarcation of borders will solve this issue. It is inconceivable, once the borders are declared, to tolerate any activities by the Israelis on the Palestinian side.
