U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Washington Monday, trying to find ways to cope with what the U.S. leader described as a deteriorating security environment
in the Middle East.
The two leaders have often had a fractious relationship and their meeting was the first in more than a year. The White House talks occurred in the aftermath of Netanyahu’s vocal opposition to the Iran
nuclear deal negotiated in July by the United States and five other world powers, but Obama called that a “narrow issue” of disagreement.
Both leaders warmly embraced the long-standing military and security alliance between their countries, with Obama calling “the security of Israel one of my top foreign policy objectives.”
Obama said he and Netanyahu would discuss “how we can blunt the activities” of the Islamic State, Hezbollah and other insurgent groups that “carry out terrorist activities.”
While he acknowledged Israel’s opposition to the Iran deal that restrains Tehran’s nuclear program but also lifts economic sanctions against it, Obama said the two leaders would find common ground in
halting “destabilizing activities that Iran may be undertaking.”
Obama administration officials said last week that the U.S. president no longer believes that agreement on creation of a Palestinian state can be achieved before he leaves office in early 2017. Netanyahu said, “We have not given up on our hopes for peace, two states for two people,” with a demilitarized Palestinian state and recognition of the Jewish state’s right to exist.
“We genuinely want to achieve peace” with other Middle East countries if they do as well, Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu was among the most vocal critics of the Iran pact, saying it would not slow Tehran’s work toward a nuclear weapon and would put Israel in danger. He highlighted his concerns in an address to the Republican-controlled U.S. Congress in March during a trip in which he did not meet with Obama.
