Obama sets meetings with Saudi, Israeli leaders

[June 21, 2010]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama's latest White House meeting with Israel's prime minister is set for July 6 -- more than a month after their last one was scuttled at the last minute.

Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu (neh-ten-YAH'-hoo) had planned talks on June 1. But that fell apart after Israel's deadly raid May 31 on a flotilla hoping to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza.

The raid has strained U.S. and Israeli relations, and the White House has announced a $400 million aid package for Gaza and the West Bank.

Obama also will meet with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia on June 29, with the Mideast peace process among the topics of discussion.

Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, told ABC's "This Week" that Obama has been clear about the need "to seize this moment of opportunity" to make peace -- addressing Israeli security and Palestinians' hopes for their own state.

[Associated Press]

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