U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, allies who nonetheless have had a testy relationship, said Wednesday that their two countries have an “unbreakable bond”.
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Netanyahu’s government was an angry opponent of Obama’s outreach to Iran, which previous year delivered an accord to halt Tehran’s ambition to develop nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief. And some suggest that Israel is ramping up its efforts toward a ‘one state reality’, as opposed to the two state solution called for by its worldwide partners.
“We do have concerns around settlement activity as well, and our hope is that we can continue to be an effective partner with Israel”, Obama said.
Obama mantioned the $38 billion USA military assistance deal for Israel “would ensure that Israel’s military has the full capabilities it needs during a time of great uncertainty”.
The White House recently backed up that pledge with a very generous $38 billion aid package to Israel to boost their defenses.
Secondly, Israel has been perceived as having one of the strongest militaries in the world, which may make the initial reaction to such an aid deal one of incredulity. Israel considers a nuclear-armed Iran to be an existential threat. Netanyahu thanked the president for the financial help. However, he downplayed reports that Obama would seek to push forward a new peace initiative.
“We do have concerns around settlement activity as well”.
The passing remark was in stark comparison to the large amounts of time Obama spent on the issue during addresses to the United Nations earlier in his tenure.
“It is important for America’s national security to ensure we have a safe and secure Israel, one that can defend itself”. “That’s not to say Prime Minister Netanyahu supports the Iran deal, but I do think that certainly we’ve seen comments from the Israeli security establishment that have noted the benefits of the nuclear deal”.
United States officials have maintained for months that Obama has not yet made up his mind whether or not he will deliver a speech before he leaves office on what he believes should be the parameters of a future peace deal, or whether the U.S. would support or veto a new UN Security Council resolution on the issue.
Despite mention of the Palestinian issue, which was expected, the encounter in front of reporters just before a private meeting transpired in a friendly atmosphere.
The U.S. President Barack Obama urged Israel to end occupation in Palestinian territories in his farewell speech at the United Nations summit. Hours before his meeting with President Obama, Turkish officials shot and slightly wounded an attacker armed with a knife who tried to enter the Israeli Embassy in Turkey, Turkish officials said.
Netanyahu will likely try to portray his country as a victim in a global war against Islamic extremism. Israel has blamed the violence on what it says is incitement by Palestinian leaders – a claim the Palestinians reject.
Netanyahu talked of Palestinian extremism as the biggest obstacle to peace, one that he said threatens the existence of Israel and the security of the Jewish people.
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Yet the Israeli leader may have a tough sell.
