ALSO:
U.S. President Barack Obama will visit Israel and the West Bank in June, according to an announcement circulated among American diplomatic representations in the region. A senior diplomatic source confirmed to Haaretz that a decision was made in recent days to include a short visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority during a visit in June to France, where President Nicolas Sarkozy will host Obama.
The decision to visit Jerusalem several weeks after his first meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington is meant to emphasize Obama’s commitment to an active role in achieving a two-state solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1077049.html
Russia strengthens its Middle East peacekeeping status
Russia hopes to host a Middle East peace conference in July. The Kremlin thinks its importance will grow if it coincides with the visit of U.S. President Barack Obama.
Until recently, only Arab countries supported the idea of an international conference on the Palestinian-Israeli settlement, while Israel, the United States and other Western countries were not enthusiastic. But last January the conference plans were mentioned in a UN Security Council resolution at Moscow’s insistence
Obama’s agreement to attend the conference would greatly enhance its significance. In this case, Benjamin Netanyahu, the new Israeli prime minister, would be unable to ignore it.
http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20090407/120967627.html