Israel and Jordan have committed to a series of "specific and practical" steps to reduce spiraling tensions over Jerusalem holy sites and the Palestinians have pledged to curb incitement and violence, US Secretary of State John Kerry has said.
However, he yesterday refused to describe what measures were agreed to and Jordan, which recalled its ambassador to Israel last week to protest an Israeli crackdown on protesters at the al-Aqsa mosque, said pointedly it was not yet ready to return the envoy.
Perhaps more telling, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas did not attend a meeting among Kerry, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jordan's King Abdullah II. Kerry said it was "not the right moment" for Abbas and Netanyahu to meet.
While insisting that the steps to be taken must be kept secret to avoid misunderstandings, Kerry said they would become evident in the coming days if all sides keep to their word.
After the nearly three-hour Kerry-Netanyahu-Abdullah session , which followed separate talks between Kerry and Abbas, the top US diplomat praised all three leaders for their willingness to restore calm amid deteriorating conditions on the ground and increasingly acrimonious complaints between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Netanyahu has accused Abbas of intentionally aggravating the situation and encouraging Palestinian attacks against Israelis, while Abbas has accused Netanyahu's government of trying to provoke a religious war.
Kerry yesterday said he and Abbas discussed "constructive steps, real steps, not rhetoric, but real steps people can take to de-escalate the situation" and that the Palestinian leader "strongly expressed his firm commitment to non-violence and that he will do everything possible to stop violence and change the climate."
Meanwhile, he said Netanyahu and King Abdullah, who serves as custodian of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, had agreed on a series of measures that would "instill confidence" among all the parties.
"We are not going to lay out each practical step," Kerry told reporters at a news conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh. "The important thing is that they are done. Not all of it can happen overnight. Not every message will reach every person immediately, but the leadership is committed."
At the same time, he said nothing is guaranteed. "Actions are what matter, not just words. I heard words, they were expressed sincerely," he said, stressing that actions were needed. "We will see in the days to come.
