Skip to main content

Obama Calls for Peace Talks Without Conditions

Obama called on Palestinians to begin talks with Israel despite settlement activity; Iraq is on edge; and it's unclear if a Kurdish initiative and Netanyahu’s apology represent new trends in Turkish foreign policy.
U.S. President Barack Obama waves as he boards Air Force One at the airport in Amman March 23, 2013. Obama marvelled at the sights of Jordanís ancient city of Petra on Saturday as he wrapped up a four-day Middle East tour by setting aside weighty diplomatic matters and playing tourist for a day. REUTERS/Majed Jaber    (JORDAN - Tags: POLITICS) - RTXXUHD

Worth the Wait?

President Barack Obama, who said in Cairo on June 4, 2009, “it is time for these settlements to stop,” made his first presidential stop in Ramallah with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at this side, and made clear that talks between Israel and the Palestinians should not be conditioned on a pause in settlement activity:

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.