President Obama addresses Jewish concerns

Several other participants agreed with Foxman but declined to be quoted criticizing the president.

Some at the meeting said Obama's arguments were strong.

"I share the same reticence of others in the Jewish community as to his position," said Rabbi Steven Wernick, executive vice president of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, "but I'm prepared to give him the opportunity to test these approaches and to see if they bear fruit."

Obama told the participants that he was putting equal pressure on Arab countries and Palestinian leaders, sending letters and making public statements in which he calls for the elimination of violence and incitement against the Jewish state.

He also noted that his special envoy, George Mitchell, is negotiating with both the Israelis and Palestinians, and that a compromise on the settlement issue was possible.

The president said he believed there was an unfair perception that he was putting uneven pressure on Israel because the press was more interested in what he described as a "family" dispute.

On the flip side, Obama noted, the Arabic-language satellite channel Al Jazeera frequently airs pictures of him from a trip to Israel, wearing a yarmulke at the Western Wall.

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peter.wallsten@latimes.com