Obama, Abdullah push for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks

Apr 12, 2010, 18:36 GMT

Washington - US President Barack Obama met with Jordan's King Abdullah on Monday to as both leaders urged the Israelis and Palestinians to begin peace negotiations, the White House said.

The meeting came on the sidelines of a nuclear summit hosted by Obama in Washington to persuade nations to take concrete steps to eliminate the risk posed by stockpiles of nuclear material.

The Obama administration has been frustrated by the slow pace of bringing the Israelis and Palestinians together for talks. The United States has brokered indirect 'proximity' talks but they have yet to begin.

'During these discussions, both agreed that Israeli-Palestinian proximity talks should begin as soon as possible, and transition quickly to direct negotiations,' the White House said. 'They also agreed that both sides should refrain from actions that undermine trust during these talks.'

Abdullah has reportedly urged the Obama administration to devise its own peace proposal to submit to the Israelis and Palestinians, something US officials have not publicly endorsed, saying the two sides needed to resolve the issues blocking the path to peace.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not participating in the nuclear security summit, wanting to avoid becoming a target over Israel's unacknowledged arsenal of nuclear weapons.

But relations between the White House and the prime minister have been tense over Israel's plans to build housing units in East Jerusalem, which is claimed by the Palestinians as their future capital.

The announcement of the new construction came last month just as the Palestinians had agreed to participate in the indirect negotiations. But the Palestinians balked after the building plans were announced.

The United States sharply criticized Israel, its closest ally in the Middle East, over the construction plans, sparking one of the worst rifts ever in diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Obama and Abdullah also discussed Iran's nuclear activities, the conflict in Afghanistan and the recent elections in Iraq, the White House said.