Obama says he has failed to advance Mideast peace ‘the way I wanted’

President Barack Obama campaign in Virginia Beach on July 13. Photo by REUTERS/Jason Reed

President Barack Obama said in an interview that he has failed to advance the Middle East peace process “the way I wanted.”

“I have not been able to move the peace process forward in the Middle East the way I wanted,” he told WJLA-TV, the ABC affiliate in Washington, on July 15 in response to a question on whether there was “anything you believe you failed at, not because Congress wouldn’t play ball, but that rests squarely on your shoulders.”

Obama said, “It’s something we focused on very early. But the truth of the matter is that the parties, they’ve got to want it as well.”

His comments came as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Israel for high-level meetings on Iran, Syria and Egypt, as well as the peace process. U.S. National Security Adviser Tom Donilon also visited Israel over the weekend for consultations.