Peace negotiators meet with Obama

WASHINGTON (JTA) — President Obama met with the top Israeli and Palestinian peace negotiators.

The Tuesday-morning meeting took place a day after peace talks were launched for the first time since 2010, a White House official told JTA.

John Kerry, Obama’s secretary of state, has pushed hard for a restart since assuming his job in February.

Representing the Israelis at the negotiations are Tzipi Livni, the country’s justice minister, and Yitzhak Molcho, a top adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On the Palestinian side are Saeb Erekat, the longtime lead negotiator, and Mohammed Shtayyeh, an economist.

Also attending the negotiations is Martin Indyk, the top U.S. envoy to the region as of Monday.