Kerry urges Israel, Palestinians to agree on 1967 lines with land swaps

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State John Kerry insisted Wednesday that Israel and a future Palestine should live as two states based on the territory they held before the 1967 Six Day War.

Kerry, in a major speech on the frozen Middle East peace process, said "equivalent swaps" of land could happen to modify the border, but only by mutual consent.

Jerusalem, he argued, should be recognized as the capital of both states and those countries that do not recognize Israel as a Jewish state should do so.

"It is up to Israelis and Palestinians to make the difficult choices for peace but we can all help," he said, laying out the United States recommendations for reviving the peace effort.