Obama’s rocky road in the Middle East

After calling for a “new beginning” early in his term, President Obama soon learned why the Israel-Palestine issue has vexed his predecessors for decades.

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President Obama took office as relations between Israel and the Palestinians were near an all-time low, following Israel's three-week war in the Gaza Strip in December 2008 and January 2009. Benjamin Netanyahu of the conservative Likud party was elected Israeli prime minister on Feb. 10, 2009.

Ariel Schalit / Associated Press

The invasion of Gaza began in response to the firing of rockets into Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas, which took control of the territory following Palestinian elections in 2006. In this Jan. 10, 2009, photo, siblings mourns the loss of their mother, who was killed during Israeli shelling.

Khalil Hamra / Associated Press

Nearly 1,400 Palestinians died during the three-week conflict, Palestinian health officials said; the Israeli death toll was 13. Here, a crying Israeli soldier, left, is comforted by a comrade during the Jan. 4, 2009, funeral procession of Staff Sgt. Dvir Emanueloff, killed during the fighting in Gaza.

Lefteris Pitarakis / AP

Not long after taking office, Obama called for "a new beginning" between the United States and Muslims, in a June 4, 2009, speech in Cairo.

Larry Downing / Reuters

During his speech to the Muslim world in Cairo, Obama said the United States did not accept the "legitimacy" of continued Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank. On June 23, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak announced construction of 300 new homes in the West Bank.

Dan Balilty / AP

President Obama watched as Netanyahu, left and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas shook hands at a trilateral meeting at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York on Sept. 22, 2009. During the meeting, Obama called for negotiations on a two-state solution to begin. On Nov. 25, Israel announced a 10-month settlement freeze that, much to the disappointment of Abbas, did not include East Jerusalem.

Pete Souza / The White House

On March 8, 2010, U.S. envoy George Mitchell, left, met with Abbas, who agreed to commence "proximity talks" with Israeli leaders. The next day, with Vice President Biden visiting, Israel announced new construction in East Jerusalem, enraging the White House. Nearly two weeks later, Netanyahu spoke at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee meeting in Washington. The Obama administration broke tradition and did not allow news media photographs when Netanyahu visited the White House during his trip.

AFP / AFP/Getty Images

Abbas and Netanyahu met again at the White House, along with other leaders, on Sept. 1, 2010. Prior to the start of their working dinner during the Middle East negotiations, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, left, and Netanyahu check their watches to see whether it is officially sunset. During Ramadan, fasting continues throughout the day until after sunset.

Pete Souza / The White House

Days before the expiration of Israel's temporary freeze on construction in the West Bank, Obama used his annual address to the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 23, 2010, to call for a two-state solution and an extension of the construction moratorium. Weeks later, Israel announced new construction in East Jerusalem. Obama abandoned calls for a settlement freeze in December.

Richard Drew / AP

One day after Obama delivered a major speech on the Middle East at the State Department, Netanyahu rebuffed the president on May 20, 2011, by rejecting Obama's call for Israel to agree to return to its pre-1967 borders as part of a peace deal. However, Netanyahu pledged to continue working toward an agreement.

Pete Souza / The White House

On Sept. 21, 2011, flag-waving Palestinians filled the squares of major West Bank cities to rally behind Abbas's bid for statehood recognition at the United Nations in the face of U.S. and Israeli objections. In his speech to the General Assembly, Obama came out in opposition to the Palestinian measure.

Mohamad Torokman / Reuters

Israeli President Shimon Peres listens as Obama speaks during the American Israel Public Affairs Committee meeting in Washington on March 4, 2012. In the speech, the peace process took a back seat to another of Israel's most pressing concerns, Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program. "I have Israel's back," Obama declared.

Jewel Samad / AFP/Getty Images

As Obama's first term nears its end, his advisers acknowledge the strategy the White House pursued toward a peace process has not been successful. "The president's view now is that this is about the Israelis and the Palestinians," said Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser. "These really are their choices to make."

Ronen Zvulun / Reuters

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

A police forensics officer investigates a crime scene where one man was killed in Woolwich, southeast London May 22, 2013. British Prime Minister David Cameron has called a meeting of his government's emergency Cobra security committee after the killing of a man in south London, his office said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth (BRITAIN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Terrorism cited in London cleaver attack

Two assailants hacked to death a man reported to be a British soldier on a busy East London street Wednesday afternoon before delivering an apparent...

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 21: Statues on display on the Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden in The Great Pavilion at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show on May 21, 2013 in London, England. The Chelsea Flower Show run by the RHS celebrates its 100th birthday this year. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Photos of the day

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ANNAPOLIS, MD - MAY 20: The Herndon Monument Climb is the traditional culmination of plebe year at the United States Naval Academy. The plebes climb to the top of the lard-covered 21 foot high monument and remove the 'dixie cup' hat at the top replacing it with an upperclassman's hat. After completing this, the freshmen are called 'fourth class midshipmen.' This class completed the task in 1 hour 32 minutes and 43 seconds. The hat was placed by Patrick Lien from Orlando. (Photo by Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

The Herndon Climb

The Herndon Monument climb is the traditional culmination of plebe year at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Lea Bessinger salvages a picture of Jesus as she and her son Josh Bessinger sort through the rubble of the elder Bessinger's tornado-ravaged home Tuesday, May 21, 2013, in Moore, Okla. A huge tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburb Monday, flattening an entire neighborhoods and destroying an elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against winds. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Tornado near Oklahoma City causes more damage

Rescue workers are searching for survivors after a twister carved a long path of destruction in a suburb of Oklahoma City. It was part of the...

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 21: Ken Marino, Erica Oyama, Ben Stiller, Chris Harrison, and Mike Rosenstein aceept the Webby Award for 'Burning Love' at the 17th Annual Webby Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on May 21, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for The Webby Awards)

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Ben Stiller, Jerry Seinfeld, Emma Stone, 2 Chainz, Tyrese Gibson, Susan Boyle and more.

This combination of Associated Press photos shows left, a neighborhood in Moore, Okla., in ruins on Tuesday, May 4, 1999, after a tornado flattened many houses and buildings in central Oklahoma, and right, flattened houses in Moore on Monday, May 20, 2013. Monday's powerful tornado in suburban Oklahoma City loosely followed the path of a killer twister that slammed the region in May 1999. (AP Photo)

Okla. tornado loosely followed path of 1999 twister

Monday’s powerful tornado in suburban Oklahoma City loosely followed the path of a killer twister that slammed the area in May 1999.

A Burrowing owl tries to perch on a protective rope in a public park in Cooper City, Fla. Monday, May 20, 2013 as rain falls. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Animal views

Fun and fascinating creatures around the world.

A man walks on sulphur and mineral salt formations near Dallol in the Danakil Depression, northern Ethiopia April 22, 2013. The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia is one of the hottest and harshest environments on earth, with an average annual temperature of 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34.4 Celsius). For centuries, merchants have travelled there with caravans of camels to collect salt from the surface of the vast desert basin. The mineral is extracted and shaped into slabs, then loaded onto the animals before being transported back across the desert so that it can be sold around the country. Picture taken April 22, 2013. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola (ETHIOPIA - Tags: BUSINESS SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

ATTENTION EDITORS: PICTURE 2 OF 30 FOR PACKAGE 'ETHIOPIA'S ANCIENT SALT TRAIL'
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Ethiopia’s salt trail

For centuries, merchants have traveled to Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression with caravans of camels to collect salt from the surface of the vast desert basin. The mineral is extracted...

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