John Kerry will visit Israel, the Palestinian territories, Oman and Jordan. Photo: The Guardian

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday began a trip to four Middle East countries- Oman, Jordan, Israel and Palestine. Afterwards he will visit Ethiopia to take part in a celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the precursor of the African Union (AU).This is Kerry’s 4^th visit to the Middle East since he took office. In Oman, Kerry will meet with Oman’s leaders to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues. In Jordan, he will attend a summit with representatives of 10 key European and Arab allies to discuss a “transitional period” in Syria. Then Kerry will visit Israel and Palestine to conduct more private talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders about the elusive Middle East peace. On May 26, Kerry will return to Jordan for the World Economic Forum.