BICOM

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Israel yesterday evening, ahead of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

He attended a wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the eighteenth anniversary of the murder of former-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin at the spot in Tel Aviv where Rabin was shot. Speaking at the ceremony, Kerry pledged “I can promise you that America will stand by the side of Israel every step of the way.”

Kerry, who brokered the resumption of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) in July, said peace was “something that is possible, is good for all, and… can be achieved.” However, he also commented, “I come here without any illusions about the difficulties but I come here … To try to find a way forward so that Israel can live the dream that [Rabin] expressed so eloquently and beautifully on the tragedy of that day [of his assassination].”

Israeli and PA negotiators held talks for the sixteenth time since July yesterday, reportedly meeting for three and a half hours in Jerusalem. Very few public details of the talks have been revealed since their resumption Haaretz reports that although there have been tensions between the two sides during recent days, both parties have made it clear to US envoy Martin Indyk that they intend to remain fully engaged in talks for the agreed the nine-month timeframe. Justice Minister Tzipi Livni who heads Israel’s negotiating team yesterday emphasised the need for diplomatic discretion regarding the talks, saying via Twitter “Curiosity builds, but quiet has an important role to play in negotiations.”

Kerry is scheduled to meet this morning with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and with President Shimon Peres before travelling to Bethlehem to meet PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Kerry is expected to return to Jerusalem for another session with Netanyahu this evening.