U.S. President Barack Obama will attempt to break an impasse in the latest efforts to reach a final Middle East peace accord when he hosts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House Monday.
Mr. Obama will try and convince Mr. Netanyahu to agree to a framework on a final round of negotiations that would lead to the creation of a Palestinian state existing side-by-side with Israel. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry launched a new round of peace talks last July, with the goal of reaching a final agreement by next month. But the Obama administration revised the goal as the talks stalled
In an interview published Sunday by Bloomberg, the U.S. president warned that "time is running out" for Israel to reach a final accord with the Palestinians. He said if the peace talks fail, the U.S. would be unable to defend Israel from a backlash on the international stage, including a growing threat of boycotts and diplomatic isolation.
But Mr. Netanyahu told reporters before his departure for Washington that Israel will continue to reject what he called the "various pressures" to reach a deal.