Obama urges renewed Mideast peace talks soon

U.S. President Barack Obama wants Israel and the Palestinians to restart stalled peace talks as soon as possible and urged both sides and the Arab states to take steps to advance the process, the White House said on Thursday, Reuters reported.

Obama spoke by phone to Jordan's King Abdullah and agreed on the need to move forward on Middle East peace, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters.

The president has promised sustained engagement in the elusive quest for an Israeli-Palestian peace deal but has had trouble getting the sides to make conciliatory gestures.