Barack Obama visited the West Bank town of Ramallah

March 21, 2013

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U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday that “the Palestinians deserve their own state” and warned that “Israeli colonization does not advance to peace” after meeting in Ramallah with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

In a joint press conference with Abbas in the West Bank town of Ramallah, Obama said: “The United States is deeply committed in favor of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state.”

“Based on the conversations I had with Prime Minister (Israel Benjamin) Netanyahu and President Abbas, the possibility of a two-state solution still viable.”

Obama, on a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories on Wednesday, also condemned ‘the construction of new homes in Israelis Jewish settlements, because, in his opinion, do not advance to peace’.

“We do not believe that continued settlement activity is constructive, or appropriate, or that it is something that will advance the cause of peace.”

Obama condemned the shooting besides two rockets fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, stating that “the Islamist movement Hamas, which controls the territory, is responsible for terminating those shots.”

“We have seen the permanent threat from Gaza last night with the shooting of Sderot.”