Obama hopeful for Middle East peace
President Barack Obama has said there is hope for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, but that does not mean he is "blindly optimistic".
Mr Obama said Israel is right to be sceptical about the peace process. But he noted 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 on Wednesday for Israeli television, Mr Obama also recalled visiting Jerusalem before he became president.
He described wandering anonymously through the Old City as "a profound pleasure" that he is too well-known to enjoy now.
The president 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.