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US President tells meeting of Orthodox Jewish leadership that his support falls with Israel when it comes to peace. WASHINGTON -- US President Barack Obama is worried that Palestinian leadership was no longer as interested in advancing toward peace, he said in a conversation with Orthodox Jewish leaders on Tuesday. During the conversation, an Orthodox Union (OU) official asked Obama what lessons he had learned about promoting Israeli-Palestinian peace, considering how his first two years in office had been marked by tensions with Israel. When it came to Israel, Obama asked the group not to doubt his "fidelity" to their...

Last month, the Palestinian Authority asked the UN Security Council for recognition as an independent state. With no decision yet made, President Mahmoud Abbas is now applying to more world bodies for full membership, as he sidesteps peace negotiations with Israel. The latest move: an application for membership to UNESCO, the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Last Wednesday, the Palestinians cleared their first hurdle as UNESCO’s executive board agreed to allow a vote on their request. The Palestinians are also trying to enter the World Trade Organization and last week succeeded in obtaining partnership status in the Council of...