Obama 'confident' on two-state solution

Obama 'confident' on two-state solution 奥巴马对两国问题充满自信

Mr Obama said he was a strong believer in the two-state solution

US President Barack Obama says he is confident that Israel will recognise that a two-state solution is in the best interests of its security.

Speaking after White House talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Mr Obama again urged Israel to freeze（冻结） settlement expansion.（扩大，膨胀）

Israel has insisted it will allow existing settlements to expand, despite pressure from Washington.

President Obama also said Palestinians must rein 1 in （严格控制）anti-Israeli violence.

  This new US President, Barack Obama, is unlike any that an Israeli leader has faced before

BBC diplomatic correspondent

Analysis: Obama put to the test 

For his part, Mr Abbas said he was committed to（决心从事） all obligations under the Mid-East peace plan "roadmap".

However, without a（停止，休息）to Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinians have said there can be no progress towards peace.

'Israel's interests'

Mr Obama said he was a "strong believer in a two-state solution" and believed Israel would recognise that it was in the best interests of its long-term security.

WEST BANK SETTLEMENTS

Construction of settlements began in 1967, shortly after the Six Day War

Some 280,000 Israelis now live in the 121 officially-recognised settlements in the West Bank

A further 190,000 Israelis live in settlements in Palestinian East Jerusalem

The largest West Bank settlement is Maale Adumim, where more than 30,000 people were living in 2005

There are 102 unauthorised（非认可基金） outposts(前哨，警戒部队) which are not officially sanctioned by Israel

Source: Peace Now

He said it was important for all countries, but particularly Arab states, to be supportive of the two-state solution.

"I am confident that we can move this forward if all parties are ready to meet their obligations," he said.

Mr Abbas said the need for progress in the stalled process was urgent.

He added that "time is of the essence" - a phrase also used by Mr Obama.

He said that he had shared ideas with Mr Obama based on the 2003 peace plan and the 2002 Saudi peace plan supported by the Arab league.

Under the US-backed 2003 roadmap to peace, Israel is obliged to end all settlement activity, specifically（特定的，明确的） including natural growth.

The plan also requires the Palestinian Authority to crack down on militants 2 who seek to attack Israelis.

President Obama said he had been "very clear" in his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week on the need to "stop settlements".

Mr Netanyahu later said no new settlements would be built but natural growth in existing settlements should be allowed.

SETTLEMENT GROWTH 2006-2009

 4,560 new housing units constructed in West Bank (excluding E Jerusalem)

Tenders issued for 1,523 new housing units in West Bank (excluding E Jerusalem)

Tenders issued for 2,437 new housing units in E Jerusalem

40% of all construction was east of West Bank barrier

560 new structures built in unauthorised outposts

Figures refer to term of former PM Ehud Olmert, Jan 2006 to Jan 2009

Source: Peace Now

In figures: Since Annapolis

The BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says Mr Obama's public reiteration 3 of his view - a day after his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had laid it out only to have it shot down by the Israeli government - has raised eyebrows（眉毛） in Washington.

Ahead of his visit to the Middle East next week, Mr Obama has put Mr Netanyahu on notice that this White House has a firm agenda of its own, our correspondent adds.

Stalled talks

The White House meeting between the two leaders is part of an effort by the Obama administration to restart stalled（失速的） peace talks.

Mr Obama has already met King Abdullah of Jordan and Mr Netanyahu. He plans to meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo on 4 June.

Earlier on Thursday, Mrs Clinton said Washington was pushing for a two-state solution in the Middle East as it was in the "best interests" of both the Palestinians and Israelis.

Speaking after a dinner with Mr Abbas, she said: "We believe strongly in a two-state solution."

However, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said on Thursday that Israel would continue to allow some construction in West Bank settlements despite US calls for a freeze on its work.

He said the fate of the settlements should be decided 4 in peace talks with the Palestinians. (本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)