WASHINGTON (EJP)---French President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed solidarity with his American counterpart Barack Obama in condemning Israel’s settlement policy.

Speaking at a press conference with the US President after a White House meeting Tuesday, Sarkozy said: "It is very good news that the US is so engaged in the Middle East".

He said his own commitment to Israel's security “is well known” but added that “colonization contributes nothing to Israel’s security.”

The French president stressed that peace is the problem of Israelis and Palestinians but added that the "absence of peace" in the region "is a problem for all of us" and that it feeds terrorism around the world.

According to media reports, the US wants a four-month Israeli building freeze in east Jerusalem. In return, the United States would pressure Palestinians to hold direct talks with Israel, Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz reported.