President Obama, in a sweeping address tackling the uprisings in the Middle East and the stalled peace process, on Thursday endorsed Palestinians' demand for their own state based on the borders that existed before the 1967 Six-Day War.

The break with longstanding U.S. policy is likely to aggravate the Israelis, who want the borders of any future Palestinian state determined through negotiations. The declaration comes ahead of a meeting in Washington between Obama and visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The status quo is unsustainable," Obama said. "A lasting peace will involve two states for two peoples"...