Obama says there's hope for Middle East peace

[July 08, 2010]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama says there's hope for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, but that doesn't mean he's "blindly optimistic."

Obama says Israel is right to be skeptical about the peace process. But he notes that many people thought the founding of Israel was impossible, so its very existence should be "a great source of hope."

In an interview taped Wednesday for Israeli television, Obama also recalled visiting Jerusalem before he became president. He described wandering anonymously through the Old City as "a profound pleasure" that he's too well-known to enjoy now.

Obama laughed about leaving a prayer at the Western Wall during his most recent visit, only to have someone remove it and print it in a newspaper.

[Associated Press]

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