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U.S. Senator John Kerry attending a session at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East in Jordan on Friday.
 (AP)
Last update - 00:40 16/05/2009
U.S. Senator Kerry: Chances for two-state solution dwindling
By News Agencies
Tags: Israel News, King Abdullah II 

U.S. Senator John Kerry told an economic forum on Friday he believed the window of opportunity for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was closing.

"It's closing for a number of reasons - crushed aspirations, demographics, realities on the ground," the Massachusetts Democrat, who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told a World Economic Forum meeting in Jordan.

Kerry's comments came amid mounting international pressure on Israel to accept the two-state solution, a step Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been reluctant to take.
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Earlier Friday, Jordan's King Abdullah II used his speech at the forum to push the idea of expanding an Arab initiative for peace with Israel to include the entire Muslim world.

"The Arab peace initiative has offered Israel a place in the neighborhood and more - acceptance by 57 nations, the one-third of the UN members that do not recognize Israel," King Abdullah told a World Economic Forum meeting in Jordan.

"This is true security - security that barriers and armed forces cannot bring," he said.

The king spoke a day after he pressed Netanyahu to immediately commit to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

U.S. President Barack Obama is due to address the region in a speech in Cairo next month and foreign ministers of the 57-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference are due to meet in Syria on May 23.

An Arab peace initiative, backed by leading U.S. allies such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, offers Israel normal relations with the 22 countries of the Arab League in return for returning lands to Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinians.

Israel has reacted coldly to the plan, citing concerns over the return of Palestinian refugees.

Among Arab states, only Egypt, Jordan and Mauritania have diplomatic relations with Israel. Most Muslim countries avoid political, economic ties and even diplomatic ties.

The Jordanian monarch, who met Obama in Washington last month, said Obama was committed to seeing a Palestinian state.

"I was encouraged by the president's commitment to the two-state solution," he said. "I was encouraged that in all my conversations in Washington, it was clear that people know - inaction is not an option."

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat later said he hopes Netanyahu will heed calls to endorse a two-state solution.

"I hope the king's words will not fall on deaf ears," Erekat said.


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  • U.S. officials: Two states for two peoples is not an empty slogan
  • Livni: Time is running out for peace process
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      2.   giving glory to another spirit is not going to bring about peace 17:27  |  glenna 15/05/09
      3.   How Very Interesting 19:33  |  Mark 15/05/09
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      7.   Two States window closing 21:22  |  WHG 15/05/09
      8.   windows 21:26  |  Ben 15/05/09
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      19.   The King is true Statesman. 00:18  |  Razi 16/05/09
      20.   JR and RI 00:25  |  John 16/05/09
      21.   Al Hussein - where would Likud be if peace broke out? 00:26  |  Mark Lincoln 16/05/09
      22.   A viewpoint 00:45  |  Eric WIlson 16/05/09
      23.   crazy world 00:46  |  oz 16/05/09
      24.   #11 Why is it funny, Harold? 02:17  |  Johnboy 16/05/09
      25.   10 JR - Get Over It! 02:33  |  Mark of Lewiston 16/05/09
      26.   Solution 02:56  |  Leon 16/05/09
      27.   Peace Industry Babble - Doesn`t Make Sense 03:49  |  B 16/05/09
      28.   John Kerry 04:30  |  Iain 16/05/09
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      42.   razi 13:29  |  oz 16/05/09
      43.   "B" #27- Same old Negative Babble. 13:31  |  Razi 16/05/09
      44.   kerry 13:32  |  danish 16/05/09
      45.   # 40 Peter , dont be so sure about that Peter 14:02  |  abraham 16/05/09
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      49.   Dear Cipora:No one can endanger the existence of State of Israel. 16:21  |  Akram Zekaria 16/05/09
      50.   Stop your war and settlement 23:39  |  Axis7 16/05/09
      51.   Recognize Israel - If Not - No Peace will ever exist 17:08  |  Harryb 17/05/09
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