Obama, Netanyahu speak amid Syria turmoil

US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Wednesday as turmoil deepened in Syria and Palestinians readied a bid for United Nations recognition next month. The White House issued a statement containing few details about the call between the two leaders who have had a tense relationship amid differences over Middle East peace moves and the shape of a future Palestinian state. "President Obama spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu today to consult on regional issues and efforts to achieve Middle East peace," White House spokesman Jay Carney said. "The prime minister expressed appreciation for US support for Israel's security, in particular the Iron Dome short-range rocket and mortar defense system. "The two leaders agreed to continue to work closely together to address common security concerns." The White House did not say whether they had discussed the brutal crackdown on protesters by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the head of a regime that has provided years of uneasy stability on Israeli's northeastern border. Last week, the United States signaled it no longer subscribed to the idea that Assad's survival was necessary for geopolitical stability, saying he had the region on a "very dangerous path." Israel and the United States have been consulting in recent weeks on how to approach the Palestinian effort to secure UN recognition at the world body's General Assembly next month. An Israeli official said last week Israel was working with Washington to hammer out a framework for new peace talks that both countries hope could convince the Palestinians to drop their bid. But Palestinian officials and analysts said their leadership had already invested heavily in the effort, and would face public disgrace if it agreed to drop the much-touted plan. Talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been on hold since September 2010, when they broke down shortly after they began over the issue of settlement construction. Israel declined to renew a partial settlement freeze that expired shortly after the talks began, and the Palestinians say they will not negotiate while Israel builds on land they want for their future state. The United States has warned the Palestinians that seeking recognition at the UN while failing to negotiate the shape of a new Palestinian state will do little to forge peace, and Washington is likely to veto the effort at the Security Council. Obama's call with Netanyahu came as senior Democratic lawmaker Steny Hoyer met top Israeli figures heading a party delegation from the overwhelmingly pro-Israel US Congress. More than 50 Republican lawmakers are also shortly expected in Israel led by House of Representatives Majority leader Eric Cantor, who has been highly critical of Obama's stance on Israel and is a key ally of Netanyahu.