Obama spoke by phone on Friday with Abbas. In a White House account of the call, Obama expressed strong support for Abbas' leadership on behalf of Palestinians.
Obama said Abbas has shown a commitment to peace and "restraint" in recent months in handling long-standing conflicts with Israelis.
The U.S. president had expressed the same views earlier this week about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when they met at the White House.
Obama is trying to show careful attention to both sides and prod direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians.
The White House said he and Abbas discussed ways to revive those talks in the near term.
