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| President Barack Obama shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Monday, Nov. 9, 2015. The president and prime minister sought to mend their fractured relationship during their meeting, the first time they have talked face to face in more than a year. |
WASHINGTON
(AP) -- Minimizing sharp differences, President Barack Obama and
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed their commitment to
seeking elusive Middle East peace on Monday, though prospects for an
agreement between Israelis and Palestinians appear ever further out of
reach.
The U.S. and Israeli leaders' meeting
at the White House marked the first time they had talked face-to-face in
more than a year. They have long had a frosty relationship, and
tensions peaked earlier this year amid Obama's pursuit of an Iran
nuclear deal that Netanyahu vigorously opposed.
Monday's meeting was an attempt to reset ties for the final year of Obama's presidency.
In
comments to reporters before their private talks, they sidestepped
their disagreement on Iran, with Obama calling it a "narrow issue."
"We
don't have a disagreement on the need to making sure Iran does not get a
nuclear weapon, and we don't have a disagreement about us blunting
destabilizing activities in Iran that may be taking place," Obama said.
"So we're going to be looking to make sure we find common ground there."
Netanyahu
didn't mention the Iran matter at all in his public comments. But in
their two-hour-long private session, Obama and Netanyahu discussed ways
to cooperate to ensure Iran lives up to its commitments under the deal,
said a senior Obama administration official, who wasn't authorized to
comment by name and requested anonymity.
In
public, the leaders emphasized areas of shared interest, including
negotiations on a new security arrangement and the goal of peace between
Israelis and Palestinians, even as the two sides grapple with fresh
outbreaks of violence.
Obama said he was
focused on "how we can get back on a path toward peace, and how we can
make sure that legitimate Palestinian aspirations are met through a
political process, even as we make sure that Israel is able to secure
itself."
Netanyahu declared, "We have not
given up our hope for peace." He reaffirmed his support for a two-state
solution, though he gave no ground on the Israelis' longstanding
conditions for achieving that outcome.
The
prime minister's statement followed his apparent backtracking during
Israeli elections earlier this year. At the time, U.S. officials said
there would be policy ramifications for a Netanyahu shift on statehood,
including potentially easing opposition to Palestinians turning to the
U.N. Security Council to create a state.
On
Monday, however, White House officials said Obama focused more on
getting Netanyahu to outline ways to keep confrontations between
Israelis and Palestinians to a minimum in the absence of a long-term
solution.
"This is certainly an opportunity
for Prime Minister Netanyahu to put forward some ideas to move this
process toward a two-state solution," White House spokesman Josh Earnest
said of the meeting.
Netanyahu was said to be
offering a series of confidence-building measures toward the
Palestinians, including easing restrictions on communications, water
usage and work permits in Israel and on Palestinian development in the
West Bank.
However, Israel has given gave
preliminary approval for a new settlement project in the West Bank,
territory Palestinians are demanding as part of a future state,
documents revealed Monday. Most nations, including the U.S., view
Israeli settlements there as illegal or illegitimate and hindering
efforts for Palestinian statehood.
A new round
of violence broke out in the region about two months ago. Israel has
accused Palestinian political and religious leaders of inciting the
violence, while Palestinians say it's due to a lack of hope for gaining
independence after years of failed peace efforts.
Obama
and Netanyahu also discussed the renewal of a 10-year security
agreement that could result in increased U.S. military assistance to
Israel. The two leaders agreed Monday that a U.S. team will travel to
Israel in early December to start discussions on the agreement,
officials said. In the immediate aftermath of the nuclear deal,
Netanyahu had refused to discuss the security agreement with the U.S.
"The
security of Israel is one of my top foreign policy priorities," Obama
said. Netanyahu said he appreciated what Obama has done.
"Israel
has shouldered a tremendous defense burden over the years, and we've
done it with the generous assistance of the United States of America,"
the Israeli leader said.
Monday's meeting was
clouded by the controversy following Netanyahu's appointment of a new
spokesman who has spoken derisively about Obama. Ran Baratz, a
conservative commentator, has suggested in Facebook posts that Obama is
anti-Semitic and Secretary of State John Kerry cannot be taken
seriously.
While White House officials,
including Vice President Joe Biden, have expressed displeasure over the
appointment, Obama was not expected to have brought the matter up in the
meeting. Baratz is not on the trip, and Netanyahu has said he will
decide his fate after returning to Israel.
