Obama and Netanyahu Meet for the First Time Since Nuclear Deal

President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sounded conciliatory notes as they began their meeting at the White House Monday, with Netanyahu noting “shared values”, “shared interests” and “a shared destiny”.

But in the days leading up to Netanyahu’s visit, White House officials said they believe time has run out for Obama to broker a two-state solution between the Israelis and Palestinians.

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.

Obama said the leaders would discuss “how we can lower the temperature between the Israelis and Palestinians”.

The Obama administration’s criticism of the current Israeli government only serves to make Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party more popular with the electorate, charged Likud Knesset Member Danny Danon in a USA radio interview Sunday. He also called “the security of Israel one of my top foreign policy objectives”.

The two men spoke for about two hours in the Oval Office, their first face-to-face session in a year and also the first since Netanyahu won reelection in March after a campaign that featured heated rhetoric condemned by the White House.

The Israeli leader has stressed, however, that Palestinians in turn must recognize Israel as a Jewish state, a condition he claims they have repeatedly rejected. Most nations, including the US, view Israeli settlements there as illegal or illegitimate and hindering efforts for Palestinian statehood. Netanyahu said he appreciated what Obama has done.

Monday’s meeting was clouded by the controversy following Netanyahu’s appointment of a new spokesman who has spoken derisively about Obama. He also said the expected USA military aid package under discussion would go a big way toward smoothing over differences.

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. “It is my strong belief that Israel has not just the right but the obligation to protect itself”, he said.

“It will be expiring in a couple of years but we want to get a head start on that to make sure that both the U.S. and Israel can plan effectively for our defence needs going forward”, said the United States president.

“You know, I think we’ve been quite candid about the fact that given the dynamic on both sides, that it’s unlikely that that two-state solution will be reached in the next 14 months”, he continued.

Obama in his remarks said he and Netanyahu would discuss how best to deal with Iran in the wake of the successful completion of the nuclear deal, as well as turmoil in the region fomented by the Islamic State terrorist group.

Israel now gets about $3 billion a year in US assistance and Israel reportedly wants to bump that up to almost $5 billion. He said a full investigation was under way and offered condolences to the families of those killed.