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Chairman Kerry On The Resumption Of Direct Middle East Peace Negotiations

Washington, DC –Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) issued the following statement after today’s announcement that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas intend to resume direct talks in September: 

“I applaud today’s announcement by Secretary Clinton and Senator Mitchell that direct peace negotiations between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas will begin in Washington on September 2.  A viable two-state solution is in the vital national interest of Israelis, Palestinians and Americans alike, and can serve as a transformative event in the Middle East.   

“Everyone understands the stakes involved and the magnitude of the challenges ahead.  Overcoming these challenges will require courage, vision, and tenacity from leaders on all sides.  I commit to doing whatever I can as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to support the Obama administration in this critically important endeavor.”

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