"Palestinians' Hope in Obama in Regression"

"Palestinians and dissident Arabs are pessimistic," says Middle East expert Bereket Kar, following US president Barack Obama's meeting with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

Despite expressing commitment to a two-state solution, Obama didn't pressed Netanyahu on fundamental issues such as putting an end to Jewish settlements in occupied territories or removing the "security barrier," which seriously restricts Palestinian's movement.

"Netanyahu's new government represents the most radical wing of Israeli politics. This government plans to push forward with its agenda, profiting from the divide within Palestinians. In parallel to this, they're trying to undermine the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by favoring an Israeli-Iranian conflict; trying to carry this over to Europe and the US."

Kar, notes that Obama's election created a climate of hope. "Yet it's turning into a disappointment as days go by." He also thinks that the peace process in regression.(BÇ/AGÜ)