(ABCnews).President Obama held what he called "frank and productive" meetings this afternoon with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas where, according to a senior White House official, the president “was pretty tough” on both leaders, conveying “a sense of his impatience and seriousness and his analysis that they need to get going.” 
The White House official, who spoke under condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, said the president conveyed that a Mideast peace process “can’t just be a perpetual kabuki” if president Obama is “going to continue to invest his political capital.”
The senior White House official said that the Israelis “said they’re ready to go” with talks, “though in the run-up to today they were a little balky.”
President Obama conveyed to the Palestinians that while they may be disappointed with Israel’s offer of a limited freeze on settlements, the offer is “enough to get talks going,” the official said. The president also told Abbas that he and his government ”need to demonstrate to the Israeli public that they’re ready to be a willing and reliable partner” in the peace process.
“The president told the Palestinians that he doesn’t think their situation is going to improve by delaying,” the official said. “They have a lot to gain by getting the process going.”
President Obama told the leaders that “success depends on all sides acting with a sense of urgency,” with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Special Envoy George Mitchell now responsible for continuing the efforts. Mitchell will meet with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators next week; Secretary Clinton will report to the president on the status of these negotiations in mid- October.
Both Abbas and Netanyahu “heard the president pretty clearly,” the official said. “This is only going to get more difficult as time goes on.”
The White House official, who spoke under condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, said the president conveyed that a Mideast peace process “can’t just be a perpetual kabuki” if president Obama is “going to continue to invest his political capital.”
The senior White House official said that the Israelis “said they’re ready to go” with talks, “though in the run-up to today they were a little balky.”
President Obama conveyed to the Palestinians that while they may be disappointed with Israel’s offer of a limited freeze on settlements, the offer is “enough to get talks going,” the official said. The president also told Abbas that he and his government ”need to demonstrate to the Israeli public that they’re ready to be a willing and reliable partner” in the peace process.
“The president told the Palestinians that he doesn’t think their situation is going to improve by delaying,” the official said. “They have a lot to gain by getting the process going.”
President Obama told the leaders that “success depends on all sides acting with a sense of urgency,” with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Special Envoy George Mitchell now responsible for continuing the efforts. Mitchell will meet with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators next week; Secretary Clinton will report to the president on the status of these negotiations in mid- October.
Both Abbas and Netanyahu “heard the president pretty clearly,” the official said. “This is only going to get more difficult as time goes on.”
