U.S. urges Israel, Palestinians to seize opportunity for peace

WASHINGTON, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Facing "a real moment of opportunity," Israel and the Palestinians should summon leadership and courage necessary to make a comprehensive peace possible, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry said on Thursday.

"With negotiations likely to resume soon, we are reaching a critical juncture. And after meeting this weekend with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, I am confident that this is a real moment of opportunity," Kerry told a hearing held by the Foreign Relations Committee.

"While some are deeply skeptical, I continue to believe that, to a greater extent than many realize, the conditions are in place for significant progress, but only if all sides can summon the leadership, commitment, and courage necessary to make lasting peace possible," he said.

During his latest tour to the Middle East, Kerry met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

He pressed the two sides to resume the peace talks, which were stalled in December 2008 when Israel launched a massive military campaign against the Islamic Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip.

"The fact is most Israelis and Palestinians still recognize that a two-state solution remains the only workable solution, and the only just solution," said Kerry, adding that the United States must act as an "energetic and effective broker" to bring the parties closer to peace.

Vice President Joe Biden will travel to the Middle East during the week of March 8. Pushing the Israeli government and the PNA to resume peace talks is expected to highlight his meetings with key leaders in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Egypt and Jordan.

Chairman Abbas insists that the talks would not be resumed until the Israeli government totally freezes the Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank, while Israel accuses the PNA of setting precondition for the peace talks and claims to ensure the "natural growth" of the Jewish settlements.