Washington  - US President Barack Obama Tuesday called on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to take steps in the coming months to build confidence and establish a foundation for resuming peace talks.

Obama, meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah, said the United States plans to be deeply involved in the peace process to build a better future for Israelis and Palestinians.

"My hope would be that, over the next several months, that you start seeing gestures of good faith on all sides," Obama said.

"The parties in the region probably have a pretty good recognition of what intermediate steps could be taken as confidence-building measures," Obama said.

The meeting with Abdullah comes as differences begin to emerge between the Obama administration and the new Israeli government under Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu, a conservative skeptical of the peace process, has stopped short of endorsing the creation of a Palestinian state as part of a final settlement.

Netanyahu's views break with the position backed by former president George W Bush and supported by Obama, who said he will continue to push for a two-state solution.

"I am a strong supporter of a two-state solution. I have articulated that publicly, and I will articulate that privately," Obama said. "And I think that there are a lot of Israelis who also believe in a two-state solution."

Obama said he hopes to meet with Netanyahu in the near future. (dpa)