U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with PA President Abbas in May 2013. Photo: State Department.

JNS.org – Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas was reportedly angered by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s proposal to form a Palestinian capital in only the neighborhood of Beit Hanina, and not all of eastern Jerusalem. Abbas and Kerry spent two days in Paris negotiating the terms for a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Kerry also proposed a possible territorial exchange that would grant Israel the right to go ahead with 10 Jewish community construction projects in the disputed territories. Kerry did not include the Jordan Valley as part of a future Palestinian state, but agreed not to put an international security force in the area. Kerry reiterated the core U.S. demand that Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

The Palestinian daily newspaper Al-Quds reported that Abbas called Kerry’s proposal “insanity” and threatened to “overturn tables.” On Wednesday, Kerry admitted that the current peace talks will likely go on beyond their April deadline. “Then we get into the final negotiations. I don’t think anybody would worry if there’s another nine months, or whatever it’s going to be… But that’s not defined yet,” he said.