Another topic of discussion at the meeting is the stalemate concerning trying to find a solution for Israeli-Palestinian peace and how to achieve a two-state resolution between the two countries, but this is not expected to be solved before Obama leaves office in 2016, say officials.
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The Israeli government hopes to secure an increase in United States aid from the current $3 billion a year to $5 billion. “We are obviously tested, today, in the instability and insecurity in the Middle East”, he said. The United States and Israel have been at odds over the Iran nuclear deal that world powers reached with Tehran in July.
Obama “has championed a sharing of intelligence, security cooperation and the guarantee of what’s called the qualitative military edge of Israel”. “But we don’t have a disagreement on the need to making sure that Iran does not get a nuclear weapon, and we don’t have a disagreement about the importance of us blunting and destabilizing activities that Iran may be taking place”.
Sky News’ Amanda Walker in Washington DC says the tone could hardly have been more different from Mr Netanyahu’s last visit.
In the White House, the perception is that Netanyahu has derided Obama recently as not being pro-Israel, particularly during the intense debates over the merits of the Iran nuclear deal.
“I want to make it clear we haven’t given up on our hope for peace”, he said, telling the Obama that “our friendship is strong and our alliance is strong with shared interests and values”.
Since mid-September, 11 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks, majority stabbings, while 74 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, including 47 who Israel said were involved in attacks or attempted attacks. “It was one of the best meetings I’ve had with Obama”, Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu’s visit comes during a spike in clashes between Israelis and Palestinians sparked by a dispute over access to a Jerusalem site venerated by both Jews and Muslims. Obama said the “legitimate” aspirations of Palestinians must be recognized.
Israeli Cabinet Minister Silvan Shalom, Netanyahu’s designated negotiator with the Palestinians, said in a radio interview before the White House meeting that the Israeli Prime Minister would offer a number of confidence-building gestures toward the Palestinians, including easing restrictions on communications, water usage, work permits in Israel and Palestinian development in the West Bank. In an address to Congress in March, he said the deal “doesn’t block Iran’s path to the bomb, it paves Iran’s path to the bomb”, creating an existential threat to his country.
Apart from Netanyahu’s attempt to foil Congressional approval of the nuclear agreement, the Israeli leader has further alienated Obama by appointing a conservative commentator, Ran Baratz, as his spokesman.
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Netanyahu said he would discuss “possible progress with the Palestinians, or at least stabilizing the situation with them”.
