Exerts pressure for new Palestinian stateIn a press conference in the West Bank, US president Barack Obama said that the West Bank was occupied by Israel and that the Palestinians must have a new state of their own. CNN reports:
U.S. President Barack Obama visited the West Bank on Thursday, stressing the need for direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians for a two-state solution.
"The Palestinian people deserve an end to occupation and the daily indignities that come with it," Obama said at a news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
"Palestinians deserve a future of hope," he said. "Palestinians deserve a state of their own."
The trip to the West Bank capital of Ramallah comes on the heels of Obama's visit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where the two leaders found common ground on issues such as Iran's nuclear progress and Israel's right to defend itself.
