Monday 13th July, 2009
Obama firm with American Jewish leaders on the peace process
Big News Network.com Monday 13th July, 2009
Jewish leaders have been asked by US president Barack Obama to allow him time to try his tactics for a Middle East peace.
He told 16 leaders from major American Jewish organisations in a Washington meeting on Monday that the United States would remain steadfast in its commitment to Israel's security if Jewish leaders would take concrete steps toward restarting peace talks.
He said eight years of US-Israeli talks in demanding Palestinian concessions had produced no results.
The president said he was asking Israel and the Palestinians alike to make some sacrifices.
Obama met with the leaders after hearing their concerns that he had become too close to the Palestinians and their Arab neighbours.
The leaders had complained that Mr Obama had gone too far in his speech to the Muslims during his Cairo visit and in his public call for Israel to adhere to its pledges to stop settlements.
Some participants in the meeting flatly told Mr Obama the United States and Israel should be in total agreement before any further progress is made.
President Obama replied that there had been no distance between the US and Israeli positions for the last eight years, saying he believed it was why no progress had been made under President George W. Bush.
As the meeting ended, Mr Obama reiterated the United States' commitment to Israel and pledged that US policy would never threaten that country's security.
