One day after White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, the same offer was extended to President Mahmoud Abbas.

A statement from the White House press secretary released on Thursday morning confirmed that Abbas would sit with US President Barack Obama on 9 June, almost a week after Netanyahu meets with the leader.

Netanyahu will head to Canada later in the week on a previously scheduled visit, and from there travel south to the US for his meeting with Obama on Tuesday 1 June.

Both sets of discussions are expected to focus on the progress of proximity talks with US mediators between Israeli and Palestinian officials. According to the press secretary statement, Obama will speak with Abbas about "how the United States can work with the parties to transition to direct talks," from the current indirect model.

Obama has also scheduled time for discussion around what Palestinians see as a second track toward statehood, being developed in parallel with the mediation efforts. A White House statement said Abbas would brief Obama on how efforts to develop institutions for a Palestinians state could be further supported by the United States.