It was a day filled with diplomacy for Secretary of State John Kerry - in this case - Middle East Shuttle Diplomacy. There was a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Jordan -- which was followed by handshakes with Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem --- Kerry's second conversatin with Israeli Prime Minister in as many days.<br/> <br />The stepped up pace suggests a hope to restart peace talks<br/> <br />Direct negotiations broke down in late 2010 over Israel's settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Abbas h as insisted that construction in the settlements, viewed as illegal by most world powers, be stopped before talks can resume.<br/> <br />Kerry hasn't said much about his plan to bring the sides together, but says he wouldn't have returned to the area if he didn't believe there could be progress.
