Obama vows to work for breakthrough in Mideast peace

US presidential contender Barack Obama is vowing to work for a breakthrough in Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations "starting from the minute I'm sworn into office".

He says he will continue to regard Israel as a valued ally and "that policy is not going to change".

Obama told a news conference yesterday in Amman, Jordan, that if elected president, he would also "recognize the legitimate difficulties that the Palestinian people are experiencing".