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Obama calls for Mid-East urgency Obama calls for Mid-East urgency
(about 2 hours later)
US President Barack Obama has called on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to act with a "sense of urgency" in restarting stalled peace talks.US President Barack Obama has called on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to act with a "sense of urgency" in restarting stalled peace talks.
Mr Obama was speaking in New York where he was hosting tri-lateral talks with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. Mr Obama was speaking in New York where he was hosting tri-lateral talks between leaders from both sides.
Each side has so far blamed the other for blocking the initiative. US Middle East envoy George Mitchell later said resolving the settlement issue was not a precondition for talks.
Israel has rejected US and Palestinian demands for a total settlement freeze before new talks can take place. He said "many obstacles" remained but that substantial progress had been made in resolving contentious issues.
The meeting brought the Israeli and Palestinian leaders together for the first time since Mr Netanyahu came to office in March. The meeting brought Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas together for the first time since Mr Netanyahu came to office in March.
Mr Obama - who has defined peace between Israel and the Palestinians as a "national interest" of the US - first met each leader separately in what he described as "frank but productive" talks. Mr Obama - who has defined peace between Israel and the Palestinians as a "national interest" of the US - first met each leader separately in what he described as "frank but productive" talks, before hosting the trilateral meeting.
He then hosted the trilateral meeting, telling reporters: "Permanent status negotiations must begin and begin soon." "Permanent status negotiations must begin and begin soon," he said. "It is past time to talk about starting negotiations. It is time to move forward."
"It is past time to talk about starting negotiations. It is time to move forward," he said. We have substantially and significantly progressed in reducing the number of issues on which there is disagreement George Mitchell
He praised "progress" between the Israelis and Palestinians since he took office in late January but said all parties "still have much further to go". In a news conference later, Mr Mitchell said the meeting had been "cordial" and at times "blunt", but that Mr Netanyau and Mr Abbas had "recognised the urgency of moving promptly".
"Despite all the obstacles, all the history, all the mistrust, we have to find a way forward." He said that while no agreement had yet been reached on the issue of Israeli settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, there were no preconditions for talks to restart.
"Our objective all along has been to re-launch meaningful final status negotiations in a context that offers the prospect of success," he said.
"We have substantially and significantly progressed in reducing the number of issues on which there is disagreement and we hope to complete that process in the near future."
Israel has repeatedly rejected US and Palestinian demands for a total freeze on settlement building.
Speaking after the talks, Mr Netanyahu said there had been a "general agreement that the peace process should resume as soon as possible with no preconditions".
Mr Abbas said he had called on Israel to respect the road map to peace and withdraw to its internationally-recognised 1967 borders.
Low expectationsLow expectations
The BBC's Jeremy Bowen in New York says Mr Obama had hoped to launch new talks at the UN General Assembly in New York, but it appears his hopes for peace in the Middle East remain gridlocked for now. Mr Obama had hoped to launch new talks at the UN General Assembly, but it appears his hopes for peace in the Middle East remain gridlocked, says the BBC's Jeremy Bowen in New York.
This is a serious and potentially humiliating setback for him, our correspondent says.
Palestinian views on summitPalestinian views on summit
Mr Obama needs to find a way to turn the New York meetings into more than photo opportunities, as he can not afford to let his ambitious plans for the Middle East fall apart so soon, our correspondent adds. Prior to the meeting, the White House had been keen to play down hopes, saying it had no "grand expectations".
Prior to the meeting, the White House had been keen to play down its expectations. Israeli and Palestinian participants had also said they did not expect many concrete developments.
"We're looking to continue to build on progress," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs. Israeli government secretary Zvi Herzog said the talks were "a step in the right direction", but that conditions were "not ripe for a formal re-launch of negotiations".
But he added that there were "no grand expectations out of just one meeting except to continue... the hard work, day-to-day diplomacy that has to be done to seek a lasting peace". Last week, a senior Palestinian official suggested his side was taking part so as not to disappoint the US and that doing so did not mean a resumption of peace talks.
Israeli and Palestinian participants had also said they did not expect many concrete developments to emerge from the meeting.
Israeli government secretary Zvi Herzog said it was "a step in the right direction", but that conditions were "not ripe for a formal re-launch of negotiations".
Last week, a senior Palestinian official told AFP news agency the meeting was taking place "because we don't want to disappoint the American administration which wants it held" - but stressed it did not mean a resumption of peace talks.
The negotiating process was suspended in December.The negotiating process was suspended in December.
'Natural growth'
Disagreements over the settlements issue have blocked all attempts to restart the peace talks so far.Disagreements over the settlements issue have blocked all attempts to restart the peace talks so far.
US and Palestinian negotiators have said Israel must fully halt work on the construction of settlements in the West Bank before a new round of peace talks can take place, something Israel has refused to do.US and Palestinian negotiators have said Israel must fully halt work on the construction of settlements in the West Bank before a new round of peace talks can take place, something Israel has refused to do.
Israeli views on Middle East summitIsraeli views on Middle East summit
Mr Netanyahu had previously offered a temporary freeze for several months, but not in East Jerusalem or in cases where homes have already been approved. Mr Netanyahu had previously offered a temporary freeze for several months, but not in East Jerusalem or in cases where homes had already been approved.
He argues that the "natural growth" of settler families must be accommodated.He argues that the "natural growth" of settler families must be accommodated.
Tony Blair, the envoy for the international community's Middle East Quartet - comprising the UN, EU, US and Russia - said he believed there were grounds for optimism, because the US and Arab states saw peace as a priority. Hamas, Mr Abbas's rivals who control Gaza, condemned the talks as "cover for Israeli aggression", while Israeli settlers opposed to a settlement freeze set up a protest tent in Jerusalem.
"It's difficult at the moment, but it's difficult precisely because people are serious about it," he said. Separately, the Israeli prime minister said he would boycott the address by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the UN General Assembly because of his views on the holocaust.
But Hamas, Mr Abbas's rivals who control Gaza, condemned the talks as "cover for Israeli aggression", while Israeli settlers opposed to a settlement freeze set up a protest tent in Jerusalem.
Separately, the Israeli prime minister said he would boycott the address by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the UN General Assembly.
A senior Israeli official said Mr Netanyahu "does not want to dignify with his presence Ahmadinejad, who is a holocaust denier that has called for the destruction of Israel".
Mr Ahmadinejad provoked international anger last week when he said the Holocaust was "a lie based on an unprovable and mythical claim".
Also on Tuesday, an Israeli-Arab man was shot dead in the West Bank after he tried to run over Israeli soldiers, the military said.Also on Tuesday, an Israeli-Arab man was shot dead in the West Bank after he tried to run over Israeli soldiers, the military said.
The man drove his car at soldiers at a checkpoint near Bethlehem, where he did not stop as requested, the military said.
He escaped, but was tracked down to a nearby garage where, the Israeli military said, he again tried to run over the soldiers.
It said soldiers fired towards the man and killed him after he failed to respond to warning shots.
A neighbour of the man told the Associated Press he had had no connection with armed groups and was killed "in cold blood".A neighbour of the man told the Associated Press he had had no connection with armed groups and was killed "in cold blood".
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