TEL AVIV, Israel — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry rushed to the Middle East on Monday for a surprise visit aimed at rescuing his Mideast diplomatic efforts, as peace talks approached a critical make-or-break point.
Kerry landed in Israel late Monday before heading to Jerusalem for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and then to the West Bank town of Ramallah to meet the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.
Kerry has been working frantically in recent days trying to salvage the peace process. A senior U.S. official said Kerry spoke with Israeli and Palestinian leaders all morning from Paris, as well as with the White House, before deciding to go back to the region.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with the media.
Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
