The president was speaking at the start of a working White House dinner with Netanyahu, Abbas, Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Each made remarks before the dinner.

Also attending the dinner were Secretary of State Hillary Clintonand Middle East Quartet Representative Tony Blair. The Quartet consists of the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union.

"We don't seek a brief interlude between two wars, we don't seek a temporary respite between outbursts of terror," Netanyahu said. "We seek a peace that will end the conflict between us once and for all... for our generation, our children's generation and the next."

Netanyahu and Abbas condemned attacks against the Israelis in recent days.

"We do not want any blood to be shed -- one drop of blood from the Israelis or the Palestinians," said Abbas. "We want peace between the two countries... let us sign a formal agreement for peace and put an end to this long period of suffering forever."

In earlier remarks from the White House Rose Garden, Obama said that "this moment of opportunity may not soon come again."

With the U.S. war in Iraq drawing to a close, the Middle East moved front and center for administration officials Wednesday as Obama held a series of high-stakes meetings with Israeli and Arab leaders.

Obama huddled behind closed doors at the White House with the Israeli and Arab leaders.

 

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