Israelis and Palestinians have narrowed "wide gaps "on potential peace talks, US Secretary John Kerry announced on Wednesday, expressing hope that the two sides will return to negotiations soon. In a joint press conference alongside Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh in Amman Wednesday evening, Kerry praised the progress made in three months of "quiet diplomacy" between Israelis and Palestinians to reach a solution to what he described as one of the "most difficult conflicts in modern history. "When we started this process months ago, there were wide gaps between the two sides but through hard, deliberate and quiet work, we have been able to narrow those gaps significantly "We continue to get closer and I continue to remain hopeful that the sides will be able to sit at the same table." Kerry, speaking on the second day of what he described as a three-day "follow-up" visit, praised the so-called 2002 Arab Peace Initiative - an offer by more than 50 Arab and Muslim states to provide full recognition and diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv in return for the establishment of a Palestinian state on 1967 borders - as a potential key to reviving the moribund peace talks. "The Arab peace initiative which King Abdullah put forward a number of years ago represents an important departure point and one that never received the full focus and attention it should have," Kerry said. "Israel needs to look hard at this imitative, which promises Israel peace with 22 Arab nations and over 30 Muslim nations," Kerry said. Kerry also highlighted a multibillion-dollar economic peace imitative unveiled in May as a potential step forward in achieving a settlement, adding that Washington has examined ways to pump billions of dollars of investment to double the gross domestic product of the West Bank and Gaza in a three-year period. Kerry's comments came shortly after a meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah, during which the two sides discussed efforts to revive peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Earlier Wednesday, Kerry met with Arab League Secretary General Nabil Al Araby and an accompanying delegation to review the Arab Peace Initiative.
