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Peace possible but time may be running out, Obama tells Israelis

Other News Materials 9 July 2010 01:09 (UTC +04:00)
US President Barack Obama said be believes a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians can be reached during his current term of office, but warned that time may be running out to achieve it, dpa reported.
Peace possible but time may be running out, Obama tells Israelis

US President Barack Obama said be believes a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians can be reached during his current term of office, but warned that time may be running out to achieve it, dpa reported.

Speaking in his first-ever interview with an Israeli television channel, aired Thursday night, he said also said that it was "unacceptable" for Iran to possess nuclear weapons, and that "I have not taken options off the table."

Obama told Channel 2 News that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "somebody who understands that we have a fairly narrow window of opportunity," while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad were "willing to make concessions and engage in negotiations that result in peace."

But, he cautioned, Abbas' and Fayad's "time frame in power may be limited, if they are unable to deliver to their people."

In remarks seemingly aimed directly at Israelis, he told Channel 2's Yonit Levi that "Israel is going to have to overcome legitimate skepticism and more than legitimate fears, in order to get a change that I think will secure Israel for another 60 years."

Repeating sentiments he and Netanyahu uttered after their meeting at the White House on Tuesday, he said he hoped Israelis and Palestinians would move from their current indirect negotiations to direct talks.

"If you have direct talks, it builds trust. Trust allows for both sides to not be so jumpy or paranoid about every move that's being made."

Direct Israeli-Palestinian talks were suspended in late 2008, as Israel entered an election period. Only in April this year was US envoy George Mitchell able to get both sides to agree to resume negotiations, but Palestinians insisted they be indirect, with Mitchell shuttling the short distance between Ramallah and Jerusalem.

Netanyahu has called for the talks to revert to being face-to- face, but Palestinians have yet to agree.

On the subject of Iran, Obama noted in the interview that he has "said consistently that it is unacceptable for Iran to possess a nuclear weapon, (and) that we're going to do everything we can to prevent it from happening."

Referring to the sanctions against Tehran which have just been passed, he said that "we want to continually ratchet up the costs of them pursuing this nuclear programme."

While admitting that "we are going to continue to keep the door open for a diplomatic resolution to this challenge" he added that "I assure you, I have not taken options off the table."

Israel regards Iran as its biggest existential threat, given Tehran's nuclear programme and repeated remarks by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other Iranian leaders, that the Jewish state should be erased from the map.

Obama said however that he did not think Israel would unilaterally attack Iran.

"I think the relationship between Israel and the US is sufficiently strong that neither of us try to surprise each other, but we try to coordinate on issues of mutual concern," he said.

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