Kerry adds Israel stop to trip, warns of ‘third intifada’

Secretary of State John Kerry added an additional Jerusalem stop to his Middle East trip on Thursday and warned Israel that it could face a “third intifada” if it can’t reach a peace deal with the Palestinians.

Kerry spent Wednesday shuttling between Jerusalem and the West Bank as he met with Israeli leaders and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in a bid to salvage stalling peace negotiations he helped rekindle three months ago. He met with Abbas again on Thursday in Jordan and is now slated to return to Israel on Friday for another meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

{mosads}“If we do not find the way to find peace, there will be an increasing isolation of Israel, there will be an increasing campaign of delegitimization of Israel that has been taking place on an international basis,” Kerry told Israeli television after leaders of both camps told him progress had stalled, according to Reuters. “I mean, does Israel want a third intifada?” 

Previous Palestinian uprisings in 1987 and 2000 left hundreds of Israelis and thousands of Palestinians dead.

Speaking in Amman on Thursday, Kerry struck an optimistic tone and said the two sides had made “significant progress.” President Obama has given Kerry nine months to try to reach a long-elusive peace deal creating two states living side-by-side in peace.

“I remain absolutely committed to this ability to get a final status,” Kerry said at a news conference.

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