In his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in West Bank on Thursday, US President Barack Obama showed a significant support to the principle of establishing a Palestinian state, but apparently he's unable to make it real, analysts said.

Obama, who wrapped up a three-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories that began on Wednesday, said in a joint news conference after he met with Abbas in Ramallah that he looks forward to seeing an independent, viable and sovereign Palestinian state established alongside with Israel.

The Palestinians were divided on whether the visit would be fruitful and achieve its goals, or it was just a photo-opportunity visit that only serves Israel and the US interests in the region. However, Palestinian analysts said his statements are encouraging, but wondered if he can make it real on the ground.

When Obama spoke about the vision of the two-state solution and said that his country is in favor of establishing a Palestinian state alongside with "a Jewish State", he didn't specify the borders of this state or what will be its capital.

The Palestinians seek a serious and fruitful peace process and want to resume the direct peace talks with Israel based on halting settlement activities and the release of the Palestinian prisoners in Israel's jails and seeks to establish a Palestinian state on 1967 borders with east Jerusalem as its capital.

TALKS WITHOUT CONFIDENCE BUILDING USELESS

Obama said that the direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians "are the best way to reach a permanent agreement that guarantees the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside with Israel. He called on the two sides to avoid the habits that block a progress towards the agreement."

Hani Habib, a Gaza-based political analyst told Xinhua that before Obama's arrival he clearly said that the parties shouldn't be so optimistic towards any progress to resume the peace talks, adding "this was clear that the US is not interested at all in seeing a practical progress in the Israeli-Palestinian ties."

"Only calling on the two sides to get back to the talks without sponsoring it or exerting pressure on the side which obstructs the peace process will be useless amid large differences between the two sides on substantial issues, such as settlements and the establishment of a Palestinian state."

Abbas and the Palestinian leadership had repeatedly announced that peace for them is a strategic choice on the long run, but talks will be only a waste of time if Israel doesn't show any serious commitment to halting settlement activities, releasing prisoners and recognizing the two-state principle.

Mohamed Yaghi, a Ramallah-based think tank told Xinhua he believes the only action the US can do right now is to resume the meetings between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding "even holding such a meeting would need goodwill gestures and confidence building."

NETANYAHU WANTS ONLY PEACE FOR PEACE

Yaghi clarified that Netanyahu is very much enthusiastic to meet with Abbas "simply because this would show the world that everything between Israel and the Palestinians is normal, while on the ground Israel keeps settlement activities and tightening its measures and blockades on the Palestinians."

The Palestinian side wants a real US interference into the peace process and would like to see President Obama soon announcing that his administration would sponsor direct peace talks between the two sides that leads to ending the Israeli occupation and establishing the independent Palestinian state.

Yasser Abed Rabbo, the secretary general of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee said in earlier statements that the US administration may present within the coming few weeks an initiative over the resumption of the stalled peace talks between the two sides.

However, Abed Rabbo said that the Palestinian side would never accept any resumption of the talks between the two sides or a meeting between Abbas and Netanyahu without "halting all settlement activities in the territories Israel occupied in 1967 including east Jerusalem."

The direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians had stopped in October 2010 when the Palestinian side suspended it in protest to the ongoing Israeli government plans to build thousands of apartments in the settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, the future capital of the Palestinian state.

OBAMA'S VISIT MAKES NO DRAMATIC CHANGES

Palestinian leaders, either in favor of the peace process or against it such as Islamic Hamas movement, believe that the visit of Obama to the region was very formal and didn't make any dramatic changes that would make the Palestinians feeling that something tangible was achieved on the ground.

Khalil Shahin, a West Bank-based political analyst, told Xinhua that President Obama's visit didn't present any initiative to push forward the stalled peace process and didn't bring any hope to the Palestinians."

"I believe that within the coming few weeks, the US will present ideas on resuming the peace talks and these ideas will be less than a real and serious peace initiative and its utmost will be a continuation in the peace process stalemate," said Shahin.