Obama and Netanyahu to discuss Middle East settling

Middle East settling, the situation around Syria and Iran's nuclear program will be the focus of talks between U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to be held at the White House on Monday. This will be their first meeting since direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians with the assistance of the US resumed in Washington after nearly a three-year hiatus at the end of July As reported by the press service of the White House, Obama plans to discuss with Netanyahu the progress of talks with Palestinians on the final status of both states, as well as developments in Iran, Syria and in the whole region. Washington places special importance on this meeting, since Obama, speaking last week from the UN tribune, stated that in the nearest time the efforts of US diplomacy would be focused on two specific issues: Iranian nuclear program and Arab-Israeli conflict. There isn’t much progress in talks between Israel and Palestine. In this regard, US State Secretary John Kerry has discussed on Thursday with Netanyahu and Palestine’s President Mahmoud Abbas the paths to step up the process. Kerry said that they came to a consensus on how it should be done. Now Obama is expected to obtain a personal pledge of the Israeli leader to back the negotiations with Palestinians to the uttermost. Netanyahu’s position is not of the latest importance in settling the issue of Iran’s nuclear program. Only a year ago, it was seriously discussed the possibility of Israel’s one-side military action against the Islamic Republic, and then the US was forced to suppress the rage of its strategic partner. Today, after Obama exchanged letters and spoke on the phone with the new Iranian Presiden Hassan Rouhani, the prospects of relationship normalization between the US and Iran are being discussed. Dramatic events that are important to Israel took place in the situation around Syria, which agreed to the destruction of its chemical weapons. At the same time, according to reports from there, extremist and terrorist groups are strengthening positions in the camp of Syrian rebels, and they could potentially direct their actions to the neighboring Jewish state. Israeli officials have expressed concern about the growing number of Al-Qaeda supporters in Syria, and this issue could also be raised in the talks at the White House. From Washington Netanyahu will go back to New York, where he will continue to take part in the General Assembly session. His speech at the United Nations is scheduled on Tuesday, the last day of the general debate.