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Washington:
US President Barack Obama met Israel's President Shimon Peres at the White House amid signs of divisions between the two allies on Middle East peace talks and how to deal with Iran.
Peres, whose post is mostly ceremonial and who is the top Israeli to meet Obama since his inauguration in January, called at the White House on Tuesday, several weeks before new Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due in Washington.
He said Netanyahu had signed up to the commitments of the US-backed "road-map" when asked by reporters about the new Israeli administration's failure to so far endorse a two-state solution with the Palestinians.
The veteran statesman also said that it would be the "best thing" if Obama's attempt to engage Iran yielded results, despite suspicion in the new government over the approach.
"Mr Netanyahu said he will abide by the commitments of the previous government," Peres told reporters after he emerged from the closed-door meeting with Obama.
"The previous government accepted the road map -- in the roadmap you will find the attitude to the two state solution.
Peres noted that Netanyahu had said he was ready "to negotiate right away, then he said he didn't intend to govern the Palestinian people."
Peres, whose post is mostly ceremonial and who is the top Israeli to meet Obama since his inauguration in January, called at the White House on Tuesday, several weeks before new Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due in Washington.
He said Netanyahu had signed up to the commitments of the US-backed "road-map" when asked by reporters about the new Israeli administration's failure to so far endorse a two-state solution with the Palestinians.
The veteran statesman also said that it would be the "best thing" if Obama's attempt to engage Iran yielded results, despite suspicion in the new government over the approach.
"Mr Netanyahu said he will abide by the commitments of the previous government," Peres told reporters after he emerged from the closed-door meeting with Obama.
"The previous government accepted the road map -- in the roadmap you will find the attitude to the two state solution.
Peres noted that Netanyahu had said he was ready "to negotiate right away, then he said he didn't intend to govern the Palestinian people."
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