RAMALLAH: John Kerry, the man presumed to take over Hillary Clinton's job as secretary of state, plans to visit Jerusalem and Ramallah in February, reports AP. Though no plans have been cemented, Kerry will be touring the region next month and is eager to meet with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. At his Senate hearing, the Massachusetts Senator expressed hope at the possibility of “moving forward" in peace talks between the two parties of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but expressed concern that if no progress is made “the door...to the possibility of a two-state solution could shut". Kerry declined to outline a specific policy regarding the conflict. It is expected that the aim of the February visit will be to assess the probability of the two parties returning to the negotiating table. Abbas recently invited the new Israeli Knesset members to discuss peace but has not relented in his calling for a settlement freeze. The settlements are seen as the principle roadblock in the peace process. The office of Netanyahu stated that the American embassy has yet to make any requests regarding the visit. BN