U.S. President Barack Obama is not so convinced when it comes to his own plan regarding peace in the Middle East. In an interview published Sunday by the New Yorker magazine, President Obama said that he believes that there is less than a 50 percent chance that the efforts of his administration can end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Regardless of his own semi pessimistic outlook on peace, President Obama still believes that Middle Eastern initiatives, such as the Iranian nuclear program agreement and helping resolve the Syrian Civil War, still held some value. “In all three circumstances we may be able to push the boulder partway up the hill and maybe stabilize it so it doesn’t roll back on us,” he said, referring to his administration’s efforts in Middle Eastern conflict.

The president’s remarks come at a very precarious time in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is reported to be presenting at the end of the month a loose outline of a framework for peace that would bind the Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in further talks. The fact that the man behind the framework himself does not necessarily believe in the future of the agreement casts a dark shadow on prospective talks.

In related news, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper arrived in Israel on Sunday on a four day whirlwind tour that includes political and social events. Prime Minister Harper is set to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss peace.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Harper “a great friend of Israel and the Jewish people” in a welcoming ceremony yesterday. “I am not just saying that,” he said, “I mean it deeply from the bottom of my heart, and I am speaking for all of the people of Israel.”

Welcoming Remarks by PM Netanyahu and PM of Canada Stephen Harper

Israel Radio, citing a report in the Arab language daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi, said today that Palestinian sources close to the peace negotiations believe that Harper will be asked that Canada pledge to absorb Palestinian refugees from neighboring Arab countries. This pledge would come as part of final status peace agreements. As of mid afternoon Israel time, Harper has not officially been asked by the Palestinian Authority to absorb refugees after concluding a meeting with PA President Mamoud Abbas in Ramallah. However, Harper was quoted as saying that Canada “may play an role” in the issue.

The issue of the Palestinian right of return has heated up in the last several weeks. Abbas  recently told an audience of Palestinians in East Jerusalem that he would not negotiate away any rights of refugees and their descendants to return to Israel.

“Let me put it simply,” he said. “The right of return is a personal decision. What does this mean? That neither the PA, nor the state, nor the PLO, nor Abu-Mazen, nor any Palestinian or Arab leader has the right to deprive someone from his right to return.”