Reaching peace in the Middle East is more urgent than ever as pro-democracy uprisings rock the Arab world, President Barack Obama said Tuesday after meeting his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres.
Separately, the United States warned that it was concerned about Israeli plans to build more than 900 new homes in east Jerusalem, reopening an old controversy between Washington and the Israeli government over settlements.
Obama told reporters that he and Peres had an "extensive discussion" about events in the turbulent Middle East during their lunch and shared the belief that this was a moment of "challenge and opportunity."
"With the winds of change blowing through the Arab world, it is more important than ever to create a peaceful solution between the Palestinians and the Israelis," Obama said.
The US leader added that Peres "had interesting ideas around those issues" but did not elaborate, saying only that it was important to ensure economic opportunity as well as nurture democracy in countries such as Egypt.
Peres told reporters that given the fast-moving events in the Middle Eastit was important for direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians to resume as quickly as possible.
He warned the Europeans – who are seen as taking a more active role in the Mideast Quartet as the body looks at how to prod the sides forward – against making an effort to force a solution on the sides.
“If they try to impose a solution, they will stand with only one side,” he declared.
The US-brokered talks were halted last year when the Palestinians declined to continue after an Israeli freeze on settlement expansion expired.
In a nod to the tumult in Arab nations around Israel, Peres told reporters that Israel wanted to be a friend to the Muslim world, saying the regional unrest was more a clash of "generations" than of "civilizations."
Obama has often had rocky relations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over US efforts to encourage a permanent peace deal with the Palestinians.
But he has often sought the counsel of the veteran Israeli president, a fixture of Middle East peace moves and a regular guest at the White House, for decades.
Moves by the Obama administration to forge a peace deal, which has eluded successive leaders for decades, have been stymied by many issues, including continued Israeli settlement building.
On the eve of the talks between Peres and Obama, the Jerusalem city council approved the construction of 942 new homes in Gilo, a neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
Mark Toner, a State Department spokesman said Washington was "deeply concerned about the announcement of the approval for these units."
“On top of other recent announcements, Israel has announced approval of four master plans for [existing] settlements in the West Bank. Not only are continued Israeli settlements illegitimate, Israel’s actions run counter to efforts to resume direct negotiations,” the official continued.
“We are also deeply concerned about the announcement of approval for up to 950 new units in Jerusalem,” added the official. “As we have said, we believe that through good-faith negotiations, the parties should mutually agree on an outcome that realizes the aspirations of both sides for Jerusalem and safeguards its status for people around the world.
"We believe that through good-faith, direct negotiations the parties should mutually agree on an outcome that realizes the aspirations of both parties," Toner said.
The US government supports plans for a future Palestinian state along the pre-1967 boundaries, along with agreed land swaps.
Israel considers Jerusalem as its "eternal, indivisible" capital, and does not view construction in the east to be settlement activity.
In his meeting with Obama, Peres also brought up the case of Jonathan Pollard, , convicted of spying for Israel and jailed for 25 years, and asked for clemency on humanitarian grounds.
Peres noted that Obama hadn’t indicated his position on the matter.
They also spoke of US commitment to Israel’s security, including a sale of F-35s, investment in the Iron Dome short-range missile defense system, and strategic weapons systems.
During his visit, Peres thanked Obama for the veto against the UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement construction, and noted that Obama expressed “steadfast opposition to any attempt to delegitimize Israel in any international forum.”
Peres was to travel Wesdnesday to Capitol Hill to meet with Democratic and Republican leaders before departing for New York.