国际英语新闻：Obama says Mideast talks exceed expectations, moratorium extension makes sense

Calling it a "risk" for his administration to promote peace talks between Israel and Palestine, Obama said that "it's a risk worth taking because the alternative is a status quo that is unsustainable."

He vowed to "keep on trying" if these talks break down. Acknowledging the "potential lapse" of the settlement moratorium as "a major bone of contention," he said he had told Prime Minister Netanyahu that "it makes sense to extend that moratorium so long as the talks are moving in a constructive way."

U.S. President Barack Obama hosts a press conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, Sept. 10, 2010. Obama answered questions on a range of topics including U.S. economy and counter-terrorism wars.

Obama said that one goal he has set for his team and himself is to make sure that Abbas and Netanyahu start thinking about how they can help the other succeed, "as opposed to how do they figure out a way for the other to fail."

"Because if they're going to be successful in bringing about what they now agree is the best course of action for their people, the only way they're going to succeed is if they are seeing the world through the other person's eyes," he explained.