2014 Frustrates U.S. Hopes for Israeli-Palestinian Peace

Secretary of State John Kerry is ending 2014 much in the same way he started it, frustrated in efforts to push Israel and Palestinians toward peace.

A diplomatic showdown was looming over Arab plans to force Israel from occupied Palestinian lands within three years. So Kerry was preparing for a quick trip this past week to Jordan in hopes of finding an alternative.

He helped avert the crisis after Arab officials backed off demanding an immediate U.N. Security Council vote.

The fast-moving political drama was a small, if temporary, victory for Kerry in his quest to end generations of fighting and tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.

But it also showed how unlikely it is that Kerry will be able to help broker a lasting truce any time soon.