U.S. President Barack Obama scolded Israeli and Palestinian leaders on Tuesday for not doing more to unblock the peace process and urged them to relaunch negotiations soon.
"It is past time to talk about starting negotiations. It is time to move forward," Obama told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who met for the first time since Netanyahu took office in March.
Obama set Middle East peace as a top priority at the start of his presidency in January, in a contrast to his predecessor George W. Bush, who was criticized internationally for neglecting the conflict.
The summit yielded no immediate signs of a breakthrough. It was Obama's most direct intervention into a six-decade conflict that has long defied U.S. diplomatic efforts.
"General agreement"
We insisted on the need for Israel to respect its commitments, notably an end to settlement construction in all its forms, including natural growth
But in a sign that pressure from Obama may yet produce progress, Netanyahu told reporters after the talks that there had been "general agreement that the peace process should resume as soon as possible with no preconditions."
He added that there were "no winners or losers from this meeting."
"A renewal of talks is good for all of us -- for us, the Palestinians, the Americans, and the goal of peace."
But Abbas again called on Israelis to impose a freeze on settlement construction, which the Palestinians have made a condition of going back to the table.
"We insisted on the need for Israel to respect its commitments, notably an end to settlement construction in all its forms, including natural growth," Abbas said told Palestinian reporters.
We have to summon the will to break the deadlock that has trapped generations of Israelis and Palestinians in an endless cycle of conflict and suffering
Despite the apparent deadlock, Obama called on both sides to show "urgency."
"My message to these two leaders is clear," he said. "We have to summon the will to break the deadlock that has trapped generations of Israelis and Palestinians in an endless cycle of conflict and suffering."
He also appealed to Arab states which have so far not acted on his request to make conciliatory gestures to entice Israel to the negotiating table.
As the summit got underway, Obama had to coax Netanyahu and Abbas into a handshake, both with strained smiles.
Unblocking the peace process
Palestinians have strengthened their efforts on security but they need to do more to stop incitement and to move forward with negotiations
Hoping to push the process forward, Obama said his Mideast envoy George Mitchell would meet Israeli and Palestinian negotiators again next week. He also said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would report back to him in October on the status of talks.
Obama said both sides should take positive steps and be ready for compromise.
"Palestinians have strengthened their efforts on security but they need to do more to stop incitement and to move forward with negotiations," he said.
"Israelis have facilitated greater freedom of movement for the Palestinians and have discussed important steps to restrain settlement activity but they need to translate these discussions into reality on this and other issues," he said.
With the sides locked into opposing positions, the New York meeting fell far short of the diplomatic coup White House aides had once hoped for.
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