GAZA, September 24 (RIA Novosti) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said the Israeli government is the major stumbling block in Middle East peace efforts, the al-Hayat paper reported on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Abbas met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama, who is demanding the two resume direct peace talks halted in December after the current right-wing government came to power in Tel Aviv.

"The Netanyahu government is a real problem because we do not have a common ground for discussion," Abbas told al-Hayat in an interview published on Thursday.

In an interview with Israel Radio, Netanyahu said: "I told [Abbas] I believe peace hinges first on his readiness to stand before his people and say, 'We...are committed to recognizing Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people'."

The Palestinians have argued, citing a 2003 interim peace agreement, that Israel must stop settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem before any talks can begin. They have criticized what they say is Netanyahu's reluctance to seriously discuss the issue.