FINANCIAL TIMES: …The visit – which would also probably be the US president’s first overseas foray of his second term in office – will give Mr Obama an early opportunity to try to improve his tense relationship with Mr Netanyahu as well as to discuss the civil war in Syria and Iran’s nuclear programme. It comes as John Kerry, the new US secretary of state, has indicated that he intends to make the stalled peace process one of his priorities.
Analysts say Mr Obama does not want to go down as the US president who was in power when the idea of a two-state solution became impossible. However, any moves to give the peace process fresh impetus faces formidable obstacles, including widespread regional instability.
Mr Netanyahu and his political rivals barely discussed the issue in the election campaign, focusing either on the economy or broader regional security issues. Opinion polls show more than half of Israelis favour peace with the Palestinians but that most also think achieving it is impossible under existing conditions… (more)
