Obama warned Hamas meanwhile that its "senseless slaughter" of four Israelis in the West Bank would not thwart his efforts, while slim hopes were tempered by persistent tension between Israelis and Palestinians over settlements.

The US president, wagering substantial political capital, plunged into the kind of personal peacemaking effort which ended in frustration for his recent predecessors, bringing five key powerplayers to the White House.

He was separately meeting Netanyahu, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, hoping to build trust, on the eve of the first Israeli-Palestinian direct talks in 20 months.

Netanyahu, who heads a conservative coalition which some observers believe will preclude concessions, insisted he was committed to a good faith effort.

"Our goal is to forge a secure and durable peace between Israel and the Palestinians," Netanyahu said in an advance copy of his remarks at a formal joint White House appearance of the five leaders.

"We seek a peace that will end the conflict between us once and for all. We seek a peace that will last for generations.

"President Abbas, you are my partner in peace. It is up to us to live next to one another and with one another."

But Netanyahu also included a tough warning that he would balk at any deal that did not assuage Israel's security concerns.

"We left Lebanon, we got terror. We left Gaza, we got terror. We want to ensure that territory we concede will not be turned into a third Iranian sponsored terror enclave aimed at the heart of Israel."

In another reminder of the fractious regional situation, Obama was forced to respond to a bid by Hamas to kill his initiative, after the Islamist movement gunned down four Israelis, including a pregnant woman, in the West Bank.

"The tragedy we saw yesterday, by terrorists who are purposely trying to undermine these talks, is an example of what we are up against," Obama said, with Netanyahu at his side.

Obama vowed to "push back" against "terrorist activities."

The direct talks on Thursday -- the result of painstaking US diplomacy -- will take place with few of the parties, or outside observers, predicting success amid widespread regional distrust.

But Obama said after meeting Abbas that he was making "progress" -- though there was little sign Israelis or Palestinians had modified entrenched positions.

Netanyahu told US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton late Tuesday there was no change to the Israeli position that a partial freeze on settlement building on the West Bank expires at the end of September, his office said.

But the Palestinians immediately warned a resumption of settlement construction would mean the end of peace talks.

"The settlements must be halted and continuing them will signal the end of the peace process," Palestinian spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina told journalists.

Hamas, which rules Gaza, is opposed to the peace talks and is a rival of Abbas's US-backed Palestinian Authority.

The issues on the table at the US-mediated talks -- the status of Jerusalem, security, the borders of a Palestinian state and the right of return for Palestinian refugees have confounded all previous mediation attempts.

But the White House insists that a "window of opportunity" has opened up to forge a two-state solution in the Middle East, at a time when Iran's growing influence is threatening to reset the regional political map.

The Quartet of the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia launched a roadmap for peace in 2003 that calls for a Palestinian state living alongside a secure Israel.

Top level talks in search of the elusive peace deal broke off in 2008 when Israel invaded the Palestinian Gaza Strip to halt militant rocket fire on its south.

related report
Netanyahu calls Abbas 'my partner in peace'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday called Mahmud Abbas his "partner in peace," urging the Palestinian leader to join him in forging a "historic compromise" to end decades of conflict between their peoples.

"Our goal is to forge a secure and durable peace between Israel and the Palestinians. We do not seek a brief interlude between two wars. We do not seek a temporary respite between outbursts of terror," Netanyahu was to say in a White House speech, according to a copy of his remarks released by his office.

The conciliatory speech from the traditionally hawkish Netanyahu laid out his vision of a different, better future for the two nations, but also spelled out Israel's fears for yet another peace move gone sour.

"We left Lebanon, we got terror. We left Gaza, we got terror. We want to ensure that territory we concede will not be turned into a third Iranian-sponsored terror enclave aimed at the heart of Israel," he said.

"That is why a defensible peace requires security arrangements that can withstand the test of time and the many challenges that are sure to confront us."

The Israeli leader met early Wednesday with US President Barack Obama as Washington makes a bold bid to resume direct Israeli-Palestinian talks for the first time in 20 months.

Netanyahu, Abbas as well as Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak were later to take part in a White House dinner hosted by Obama, who was also meeting the regional power brokers for one-to-one sessions.

All five leaders were due to stand together at a potentially awkward White House appearance to make individual statements, before retiring for the dinner also featuring Quartet diplomatic representative Tony Blair.

But Netanyahu's words were remarkable for their optimism and apparent willingness to make the concessions and take the tough steps needed to reach a peace deal.

"Every peace begins with leaders. President Abbas, you are my partner in peace. It is up to us to live next to one another and with one another," Netanyahu was to say.

Netanyahu did not specifically refer to the establishment of a Palestinian state, however, he acknowledged the Palestinians' claim to the land.

"The Jewish people are not strangers in our homeland, the land of our forefathers. But we recognize that another people share this land with us.

"And I came here today to find an historic compromise that will enable both peoples to live in peace, security and dignity," he said.

The White House said the day of intense presidential engagement was meant to build trust ahead of direct US-engineered Israel-Palestinian talks due to be hosted by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday.

It insists that a "window of opportunity" has opened up to forge a two-state solution in the Middle East, at a time when Iran's growing influence is threatening to reset the regional political map.

The issues on the table at the US-mediated talks -- the status of Jerusalem, security, the borders of a Palestinian state and the right of return for Palestinian refugees have confounded all previous mediation attempts.

Nevertheless, Netanyahu said he believed this time it could be done.

"There are many skeptics. There are many reasons for skepticism. But I have no doubt that peace is possible," he said.

"President Abbas, we cannot erase the past. But it is within our power to change the future."

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News