Plunging into the Mideast peacemakers role that has defeated so many U.S. leaders, President Barack Obama on Friday invited Israel and the Palestinians to try anew in face-to-face talks for a historic agreement to establish an independent Palestinian state and secure peace for Israel.

Barack Obama has threatened to downgrade Washington's relationship with the Palestinian Authority unless it agrees to join direct peace talks with Israel within weeks.

U.S. President Barack Obama said in a rare interview with an Israeli television station he thought it may be possible to achieve a Middle East peace deal in the next few years and urged Israel to seize the chance.

President Barack Obama says there's hope for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, but that doesn't mean he's blindly optimistic.

US President Barack Obama said he hoped for direct Middle East peace talks to start before the end of September, as he and visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied reports of a rift.