Obama added that he was “interested” in attaining Netanyahu’s assessment of conditions within Israel and the West Bank, saying the US has “concerns” about Israeli settlements.
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“We’ll set up a tee time”, Obama quipped. -Israeli cooperation: A 10-year, non-binding “memorandum of understanding” that includes support for missile defense, more F-35 joint strike fighters and other military equipment. Last week, Obama endorsed Israel’s record 10-year, $38 billion USA military aid contract – a predictable result of the talks, but one which emphasized tensions. The former senator had been the point man in talks to end Britain’s Northern Ireland conflict, and his promotion had been seen as marking the young U.S. leader’s seriousness.
Obama said the USA link with Israel is “based on common values, family ties and a recognition that the Jewish state is one of our most important allies”. “We coordinate on more things than people think”, the senior official said, adding that intelligence cooperation is “truly a two-way street”, and arguing that Israel was widely recognized as a military and security powerhouse. “So that has not been the issue of prominence that it was a year or two ago”.
Washington’s assistance for Tel Aviv recently saw a significant boost with the Obama administration committing $3.8 billion in annual military aid to Israel to continue for the next decade beginning in 2019. He also raised USA concerns about Israeli settlements, a sore spot between the two leaders.
The two leaders have sparred over Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and, most publicly, over Mr. Obama’s pursuit of a deal with Iran that curtails its nuclear program in exchange for lifting economic sanctions.
King Don Felipe VI of Spain, right, greets U.S. President Barack Obama as he arrives for a luncheon during the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016.
Mr. Obama addressed the recent strife at the start of the meeting with Mr. Netanyahu, saying “our hearts go out to those who have been injured, both Israeli and Palestinian”.
“We all have to do better”, Obama concluded. “Surely, Israelis and Palestinians will be better off if Palestinians reject incitement and recognize the legitimacy of Israel, but Israel recognizes that it can not permanently occupy and settle Palestinian land”, he said. Will the meeting prove to be another tense footnote to a stalemate, or a last bid to influence a dossier that confronted and disappointed of all his predecessors? “I want to hear from the prime minister about the situation in the West Bank and the latest violence”.
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Noting that he will only be in office for another three months, Obama said, “Our hope will be that in these conversations we get a sense of how Israel sees the next few years, what the opportunities are and what the challenges are, in order to assure that we keep alive the possibility of a stable, secure Israel at peace with its neighbors and a Palestinian homeland that meets the aspirations of their people”. “It’s certainly the last one that we anticipate, but given how close our relationship is, events can always precipitate a meeting”.
