[An Nahar] U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Israel Tuesday and was expected to attend some meetings a day ahead of President Barack Obama's milestone visit, U.S. officials said."The secretary is in Israel, in advance of the president's arrival," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters in Washington.
She added Kerry was expected to "have a meeting or two, in preparation for the president's arrival" but added the "schedule was being worked out."
Nuland did not confirm however Israeli media reports that Kerry, who will accompany Obama on his three-day trip and travel together to Jordan, would then return to Jerusalem on Saturday to push for renewed peace talks.
Haaretz daily said Kerry would have dinner with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night to sound him out on the prospects of reviving peace efforts with the Palestinians.
"Kerry wants to hear Netanyahu and... president Mahmoud Abbas express their willingness to participate and say what measures they are willing to take to move forward," Haaretz said.