AMMAN, Jordan, June 29 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said this weekend he was not setting a deadline on getting Israel and the Palestinians back to the bargaining table.
Kerry spent Saturday huddling with senior leaders from both sides, urging them to get formal peace talks under way. He told reporters Friday he was not calling for any deadlines to reach an agreement on negotiations, but he cautioned against further delay, saying it "allows a vacuum to be filled by people who don't want things to happen."
Kerry met Saturday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for the second day in a row. U.S. officials said the Friday session was "very constructive" and involved discussions on Iran and Syria, Voice of America said.
Kerry canceled a Saturday briefing with reporters in Jordan without giving a reason. Israel's Ynetnews.com said the cancellation came at the same time Jordanian media reported a deal was imminent on holding four-party talks among the Israelis and Palestinians along with Jordan and United States.
There was no official comment on the unconfirmed reports, which cited Palestinian sources saying the talks would involve a freeze on Israeli housing construction and setting of clear borders that would be the basis for future talks.
