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Obama says UN abstention did not harm Israeli relations

WASHINGTON, Jan 16 (KUNA) -- US President Barack Obama believes that the December US abstention on a UN resolution condemning Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land has not caused a serious fallout between the allies.
"I don't think it caused a major rupture in relations between the United States and Israel," he told US network CBS in an interview late on Sunday.
"If you're saying that (Israeli) Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu - got fired up, he's been fired up repeatedly during the course of my presidency." Outgoing president Obama, who departs from his post on Friday, said Israel's settlements make the realisation of a two-state solution difficult.
He made the comments as State Secretary John Kerry on Sunday met Foreign Ministers in Paris to push for renewed Middle East peace talks and a two-state solution for the Middle East affair. (end).
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