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 Kerry departs for the region on Wednesday in his first trip after
a Christmas break. Israel and Palestinians resumed peace talks in
July after a three-year break aimed at producing a peace agreement
within nine months to end their decades-old conflict.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Kerry did
not expect a breakthrough during his visit but is pushing for the
sides to agree on a framework of core principles, such as security,
the future of Jerusalem and fate of refugees, as soon as possible.
Such a step would also demonstrate to both Israelis and Palestinians
that progress is being made. Israel fulfilled part of the U.S.-
brokered package for talks by releasing 26 Palestinian prisoners on
Tuesday, the third of four groups to go free. {ID:nL6NOK925K]
"The framework is a basis upon which one could negotiate a final
peace treaty because the outlines or the guidelines for what the
final deal would look like would be agreed up, and then you would
work intensively to fill out the details," the official said.
The official said the framework would act as a guideline for
reaching a full peace treaty between the Israelis and Palestinians
in April, in which Israel would exist peacefully alongside a new
Palestinian state.
"We want to have a detailed consultation with them about these ideas
that have been generated as a result of the negotiations between the
parties themselves, and see whether they can serve as gap bridges
which could lead to this agreement on the framework for permanent
status negotiations," the official added.
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The official dismissed earlier comments by U.S. officials that an
agreement in April would lead to a year of further talks aimed at a
full-blown peace treaty. "It is a two-stage process in our minds,
agreement on a framework for negotiations and then a permanent
status agreement or a peace treaty" by April, the official said
After 20 rounds of talks Kerry wants to intensify talks further.
"We have established very well where the gaps are, but also
generated some ideas that could help to serve as ways of bridging
those gaps. The secretary's trip this time is to start to test those
ideas with the two leaders," the official said.
The official said Kerry "has a real sense of urgency, a real sense
of need to strike while the iron is hot. We consider the iron to be
hot."
"We're going to work assiduously to try to reach this framework
agreement as soon as possible," the official added.
(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton;
editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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