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U.S. President Barack Obama met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas in New York on 22 September to reinvigorate peace talks between the two countries. During an interview with Sky News, Foreign Secretary David Miliband commented on the importance of this meeting and the longer term goal of securing lasting peace in the Middle East and why it is vital that the wider world support all efforts to achieve stability in the Middle East.

He said:

'I think it’s very important to get the degree of presidential engagement that Barack Obama is now showing. I think we all know that there’ll never be stability in the Middle East until the issue of justice and security for Palestinians and, and Israelis is addressed through a Palestinian state that can live alongside Israel.

It’s a very clear goal, President Obama has said it in the United States’ national interest. It’s certainly in our national interest and that’s why we’re supporting him very strongly in trying to find common ground to allow us to move towards that goal.

I think we have a very important role in supporting first of all the security improvements that the Palestinians themselves have been making on the West Bank. I think that’s been a significant change that has impressed Israelis as well as Americans.

Secondly, we obviously offer economic support to the Palestinians because their humanitarian situation is very dire. But thirdly and importantly we need to ensure that there is a political process and we add our voice in support of what the Americans are leading.

But they’re very consciously leading it with the support of the whole international community, not just Europeans, but also Russia and the Arab world as well.'

In answer to how optimistic expectations of an agreement between Israel and Palestine are David Miliband said:

'I think you can never give up hope when the facts on the ground so clearly point to the only way for these people to live together is side by side in two states. I’m not going to offer you any glib optimism today. There’s been forty years or more of suffering and that’s the last, glib optimism is the last thing that anyone needs.

However, we have the President of the United States, newly elected in his first year determining to lead an international coalition to sort out this problem and that’s why I think it’s very well worth out effort, putting our shoulder to the wheel to support him.'