The White House on Tuesday said that U.S. President Barack Obama has remained committed to moving towards direct peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that though the Middle East is "an enormously tense region," the last months have shown "real progress in proximity talks" between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Amidst ongoing tensions in the region, Gibbs said that his hope is that "conditions...throughout the region don't change that."