U.S. President Barack Obama met members of the Arab-American community at the White House on Monday, ahead of his trip to Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan, a U.S. spokesman said.

During the meeting, Obama reiterated that his trip to the Middle East was "not dedicated to resolving a specific policy issue, but is rather a chance to consult with Jordanian, Israeli, and Palestinian Authority officials about a broad range of issues," the spokesman said, according to AFP.