Obama, Netanyahu look to mend fractured relationship

“It is no secret that the Prime Minister and I have had a strong disagreement on this narrow issue, but we don’t have a disagreement on the need to make sure that Iran does not get a nuclear weapon and we don’t have a disagreement about the importance of us blunting destabilizing activities that Iran may be taking”.

But there’s also little hope of progress on other matters, with USA officials downplaying the chance of a breakthrough in ongoing security talks and ruling out the prospect of a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians before Obama leaves office in 14 months.

“We take this very seriously and will be working closely with the Jordanians to determine exactly what happened”, Obama said during a previously scheduled meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Obama and Netanyahu’s meeting at the White House marked the first time the two leaders have talked face to face in more than a year.

“We’ll never give up our hope for peace”.

U.S.-sponsored peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians collapsed in 2014. A new wave of violence broke out about two months ago, beginning with unrest at a major Jerusalem shrine revered by both Muslims and Jews, and quickly spreading to Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza border. While the two leaders have long had a chilly relationship, tensions boiled over earlier this year amid Obama’s pursuit of the Iranian nuclear deal.

They appeared cordial and businesslike in their brief interaction before the press on Monday, in stark contrast to a 2011 Oval Office encounter when Netanyahu lectured Obama on the suffering of the Jewish people through the ages. The two shook hands twice for the cameras.

Israel now receives $3.1 billion from the United States annually and wants $5 billion per year for 10 years, for a total of $50 billion, Congressional officials have told Reuters. One US official predicted the sides would settle for an annual sum of $4 billion to $5 billion.

Obama’s tangible support for Israel’s security could help deflect accusations from Republican presidential hopefuls that he and any Democrat successor are less pro-Israel than they profess to be.

USA voters will elect a new president in November 2016.

Obama backed Netanyahu in the latest crisis facing Israel, speaking out against recent attacks by Palestinians on Israeli civilians that have sparked fears of a new uprising, or intifada, in the Palestinian territories.

Obama said that the two leaders would discuss the “chaotic” situation in Syria and Israeli security, noting that he had “repeatedly” said that protecting Israel was one of his top foreign policy priorities.

He also noted his sharp public clashes with Netanyahu over the deal between world powers and Tehran to halt Iran’s nuclear program, which the Israeli leader has branded a historic mistake.