Obama pushes for Palestinians to drop statehood bid

In a speech Wednesday, Obama addressed the U.N. General Assembly. He pushed for Palestinians to drop their current statehood bid, saying there is no short cut to resolve conflict in the Middle East. The U.S. has pledged to veto any bids for statehood from Palestine.

Following his public speech, there will be separate private meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, to coax both parties back to peace talks. While the U.S. cannot prevent Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas from making his statehood request, it is expected Obama will privately ask Abbas to drop the move at this time. The Obama administration argues that the way to statehood is through peace negotiations, not a U.N. vote.