NEW YORK, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama launched here Tuesday a three-way meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, to push for peace in the Middle East.

    Presiding over a handshake between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders at the beginning of the meeting, Obama urged both sides to work with a "sense of urgency" and make the Middle East peace talks possible.

    Before the three-way talks, held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session, Obama met separately with Netanyahu and Abbas.