WASHINGTON (AFP)--U.S. President Barack Obama told Israelis and Palestinians it is time to return to the negotiating table, as he dispatched his new special envoy George Mitchell on a debut tour of the region.
Barely a week after his inauguration, Obama cautioned on Monday that he didn't want expectations raised too high of swift progress in the volatile Middle East, following the Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza.
"I do believe that the moment is ripe for both sides to realize that the path that they are on is one that is not going to result in prosperity and security for their people," Obama told Al-Arabiya television network.
"Instead, it's time to return to the negotiating table."
The new U.S. president had earlier met Mitchell at the White House along with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, before sending him off on a mission to Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, London and Paris.
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