U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem May 23, 2013. Photo: Israel GPO.

Ynet – US Secretary of State John Kerry urged Israel’s government on Friday to prevent further settlement construction where possible to help revitalize Middle East peace hopes, but stressed that the Jewish state and Palestinians alike should remain focused on the larger goal of restarting direct negotiations.

Explaining part of the strategy of his now 2-month-old peace initiative, Kerry said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s government can stop only some of the settlements being built in lands contested by the Israelis and Palestinians – and in those cases it should act.

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