Obama frustrated over stalled Mideast peace

President Barack Obama voiced frustration early Wednesday over stalled Middle East peace efforts, saying Israelis and Palestinians may not be ready to resolve their conflict no matter how much pressure Washington exerts.

Obama, speaking to reporters after hosting a nuclear security summit, made clear he harbored little hope for swift progress toward Middle East peace, more than a year after taking office and declaring it a high priority for his administration.

U.S.-led peace moves have been stymied by a dispute over Jewish settlement construction on occupied land that has strained ties between Washington and its close ally Israel, and by divisions among the Palestinians.

"Antagonism"

"The truth is in some of these conflicts the United States can't impose solutions unless the participants in these conflicts are willing to break out of old patterns of antagonism," Obama told a news conference.

The Obama administration has tried to get Israel and the Palestinians to launch indirect peace talks but has made scant headway. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave little ground in White House talks with Obama last month.

Obama recently acknowledged he had underestimated the obstacles to a renewed peace process that bedeviled many of his predecessors, and some critics have called his approach naive.

"The Israeli people, through their government, and the Palestinian people, through the Palestinian Authority, as well as other Arab states may say to themselves, 'We are not prepared to resolve these issues no matter how much pressure the United States brings to bear,'" Obama said.

But Obama insisted the United States would press on, "constantly present, constantly engaged."

He said progress on issues like Middle East peace, nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear disarmament would be measured "not in days, not in weeks."

"It's going to take time, and progress will be halting," he said. "And there will be frustrations."

The Israeli people, through their government, and the Palestinian people, through the Palestinian Authority, as well as other Arab states may say to themselves, 'We are not prepared to resolve these issues no matter how much pressure the United States brings to bear'

U.S. President Barack Obama

US-Israeli differences

Netanyahu acknowledged last week that his government has yet to resolve its differences with the United States over Israeli construction in East Jerusalem, a dispute that has stymied American efforts to restart peace talks.

Netanyahu said both countries still are working to find a solution but staunchly defended his government's contentious settlement plans in the disputed holy city, calling them a long-standing Israeli policy.

The worst crisis in U.S.-Israeli ties in years erupted last month when Israel announced plans to build 1,600 new homes for Jews in East Jerusalem during a visit by Vice President Joe Biden, drawing sharp condemnation from Washington and calls to cancel the construction. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem as capital of Palestine in any two-state solution.

An overwhelming majority of U.S. senators urged Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday "to do everything possible" to shore up ties with Israel and thaw the frozen Middle East peace process.

Seventy-six of the 100 U.S. senators signed a letter urging Clinton to ease tensions over Israel's decision to build more settlements in east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians seek as the capital of their future state.

The senators urged Clinton "to reaffirm the unbreakable bonds that tie the United States and Israel together and to diligently work to defuse current tensions" with Netanyahu's government.

The White House promised on Friday not to "surprise anybody at any time" with a dramatic shift in Middle East peace strategy and said no decision had been made for Obama to offer his own solution to the conflict.

While dampening expectations for a revamped U.S. approach, national security adviser Jim Jones left open the possibility of further internal discussions, following reports a broad new Israeli-Palestinian peace proposal was under consideration.

It's going to take time, and progress will be halting. And there will be frustrations

Obama