(JNS.org) Following U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s fourth visit to the Middle East in four months in an effort to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, Palestinian officials continue to reject Kerry’s proposals. Last week, Palestinian negotiator Nabil Sha’ath rejected “exploratory” talks with Israel involving Jordan as a third party.

Reacting to Kerry’s idea that spurring Palestinian economic growth with up to $4 billion in private investment would improve prospects for peace, PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s economic adviser, Mohammad Mustafa, said, “The Palestinian leadership will not offer political concessions in exchange for economic benefits,” the Times of Israel reported.