Obama backs Palestinian state

In a White House meeting with Abbas late on Thursday, Obama said his administration would work aggressively to ?jump-start? a stalled peace process. He said both sides must meet their past obligations in order to achieve progress toward a two-state solution. For the Palestinians, that includes improving the security situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. For Israel, ?those obligations include stopping settlements,? Obama said. Abbas said that the Palestinian Authority is ?fully committed to all of our obligations? under the 2003 road map, which set out a path for the two sides to reach a peace deal. Obama said he would not put an ?artificial timetable? on achieving peace in the region but was ?confident? that the Israeli government would soon recognize the importance of the creation of a Palestinian state. ?I?m confident that if Israel looks ... at its long-term strategic interests, then it will recognize that a two-state solution is in the Israeli interest as well as the Palestinians,? Obama said. ?We can?t continue the drift ... We need to get this thing back on track,? Obama told reporters with Abbas. ?I do share President Abbas? feelings and believe many Israelis share this view that time is of the essence. I will do everything I can ... to make sure that we jump-start this process and get it moving. Meanwhile, the Arab League?s secretary-general said yesterday it would become impossible to establish a Palestinian state unless Israel halts settlement construction in the West Bank immediately. ?If they continue this policy of changing the demographic composition ... of the territories, it will be practically impossible to establish a Palestinian state ? a viable Palestinian state,? Moussa said. ?This is the point that makes or breaks.? Hamas yesterday slammed Abbas? talks with Obama as a disappointment for Palestinian national hopes; Kazinform cites Arab News. See www.arabnews.com for full version.