US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Israel in his latest bid to re-energise the Middle East peace process. <br /><br />The visit, Kerry’s tenth to the region in less than a year, seeks to secure a so called ‘framework agreement’ aimed, eventually, at finding a two state solution and an independent Palestinian state. <br /><br />Speaking at a joint news conference with Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Kerry called for common ground from both sides. <br /><br />“The time is soon arriving where leaders are going to have to make difficult decisions. We are close to that time, if not at it, and I think we understand the circumstances within which we are working,” Kerry said<br /><br />After meeting with Netanyahu, Kerry is due to travel to the West Bank for talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. <br /><br />Earlier on Thursday, around 100 Palestinian protesters demonstrated against Kerry’s visit calling for an end to talks with Israel. . <br /><br />Saleh Zedan, Leader of Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine said: “We are marching to ask the Palestinian negotiator to withdraw immediately from these talks, to stop being exploited by the Israeli enemy which is covering up the increase in Jewish settlements.’‘<br /><br />Last month, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said a deal on a framework agreement could allow talks to continue for another year. <br /><br />But, earlier this week, he said the US’ peace efforts were ‘failing’ and threatened to haul Israel before the International Criminal Court.
