U.S. President Barack Obama launched a joint meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by presiding over a handshake between the two leaders Tuesday in New York City. </p> - <p> He sternly urged both men to do more to make Middle East peace talks possible. It was the first Israeli-Palestinian meeting since Netanyahu took office in March. </p> - <p> The session came after Obama met individually with both leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session on climate change. </p> - <p> "The United States is committed to a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East that includes a settlement of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict that results in two states: Israel and Palestine, in which both the Israeli and Palestinian people can live in peace and security and realize their aspirations for a better life for their children," Obama said as the meeting got underway. </p> - <p> Neither Netanyahu nor Abbas spoke during a brief appearance before reporters. </p> - <p> More meetings are scheduled, not between the two leaders specifically, but between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators and U.S. envoy George Mitchell in Washington next week aimed at kick-starting a formal peace process. </p> - <p> Obama has asked Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to report back to him on the progress of those meetings. </p> - <p> Last week, Mitchell failed last week to bridge the gap between the two sides on the issue of Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory. </p> - <p> Obama wants Israel to freeze all settlement construction, a condition for Abbas to resume peace negotiations, but Netanyahu has committed only to a partial halt. </p> - <p> In Israel, Netanyahu’s refusal to freeze settlements hasn't gone far enough for hardliners. </p> - <p> "I am afraid that Prime Minister Netanyahu might go farther with his policy of making further concessions to the Palestinians, and it does not bring peace any clos...