Syria is going up in flames Egypt is going up in smoke All Kerry does is focus on the Palestinians. What a joke for Sec of State.

If Israel and Palestinians fail this time, the Great Powers should intervene through the UN and settle the conflict by force. This will include separation of the two sides and supervised cease fire for at least thirty years. If the sides fail this time, it will mean there are no suitable leaders and the thirty years will be needed for both sides to grow new generations of leaders. Good luck to Israelis and Palestinians, may The Force be with you.

I wonder how many "pre-conditions" will be made by the PA before they actually sit around a table. Maybe the size of the table is also negotiable. Releasing 350 prisoners so they can potentially come back and do harm is ridiculous. Once again, it's Israel who will face the awesome burden of negotiating with cutthroats.

Will they break loose from their chains, their masters, their fears, their dependence?

He is only following orders, working for Obama

Bibi sold Israel and the Jewish People out. Do they expect us to believe there was no pre conditions when it took six months to negotiate to start talks. In my opinion The only way someone in Israel would take this bad deal is either they dumb or they are being paid off or being blackmailed and I don't think the decision makers are dumb.

Yeah, I mean who cares what the public think? We merely live here.

Thank you kerry and the us to try to save israel from itself before it's too late

Among his skills is apparently a sophisticated kindergarten approach for dealing with the infantile politicians on both sides.

Let me guess.... How much cash did the US promise to deposit in the "Palestinians" Swiss bank accounts? And how much as a blood transfusion in their parasitic economy?

If I were settlers, I would be packing already... EU Boycott, 1967 lines.. wow... so many good news. This is priceless...

If no one is able to make peace, then a third party (tzad gimel) should be in charge like the UN. The UN and the EU are now getting stronger and finally work for the citizens of Europe and stand for the positions they've been holding more or less officially for decades. Coupled to the US they can force Israelis and Palestinians to find a solution and sign a treaty for the sake of the people from both sides. Good luck to all!

So, its a road trip to Washington next week for Bibi. Will we gain be treated to the spectacle of the $150,000 El Al reconfiguration complete with double bed, or will he be going on his own.

Obama succeeded in freeing murderers.Unless the US & EU cutoff money to the PA there is no reason for them to make any concessions & the talks will go nowhere as usual.

If the US objective was to forestall Palestinians acting unilaterally (as at the UN), there s no reason it had to come at Israel's expense. Kerry could have pulled Abbas aside and said, "The US looks with extreme disfavor on any action by the PA to take this issue to e UN or any of its agencies. If the PA nonetheless proceeds with such a course, the PA will pay a serious price which will hit both the Palestinian leadership and its budget." Keep in mind the US gives over one billion annually - in direct support to the PA, for designated projects, and through organizations like the UN. What it gets in return is nothing but grief. If Kerry was truly exercising "smart power", he'd remind Abbas of that fact.

This story about israel PMs is getting boring, probably stemming from years of subjugation and religious pacficism exemplified by the haredi. Levi eshkol was stuterring away when nasser massed his forces. Peres turned the other cheek after the frauds at kana. Barak was anemic in his response to suicide and cafe bombs. Bibi wilted on hebron.Olmert was so weak that swear words are not sufficient to characterize this piece of dirt. And now bibi again. and so some deal, with the arab league and so called palestinains. Peres will of course opine after the peace is signed, why are they blowing up tel aviv after we signed a deal with them. The way to deal with the situation is no talks, no concessions, juist cold armistice arrangements. Bibi is a royal shmuck along with the others.

the talks. There is noway in hell that israelis will "give up anything that they have stolen". It is not in their blood.

Not any more. The world found out Israel clever tricks that used and lasted for more than twenty years.. Moreover EU will apply more sactions against Israel and probably stop trading with her.

israel's precondition for prisoners....If one of them goes back to terrorism then never again will one prisoner ever be released again

This land is ours forever. No matter what politicians say, there will be no freeze.

Rabbi No more excuses and enough is enough. Before end of 2014 a new member of the United Nations is called The State of Palestine.

Im confused. I thought peace talks could not begin unless Israel froze settlement building? Israel aint feezing settlements so how was Kerry able to convince Palestine to go to negotiations?

American cities going bust but they have secretary of state with busy body in others affairs.

to blow it and blame the pals, lets see if the Americans will fall for it.

I'm pessimistic this round of negotiation will lead to anything but if it can improve people lives and ease tension then it's ok

more like, Israel will give and receive nothing !

The only thing that will come out of these peace talks that Kerry is trying to accomplish, will be that 350 so-called Palestinians will be set free from Israel jails. The rest is just plain baloney but pays Kerry's salary. He will get no further than Jimmy Carter did in negotiations.