Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is in New York to partake in the United Nations General Assembly, met last night with US President Barack Obama, during which the two leaders discussed various issues, including the regional challenges Israel faces, the American aid agreement which Washington signed with Israel last week and prospects of advancing a process of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Netanyahu, who has had a rocky relationship with Obama, said he appreciated their many talks about challenges facing the Jewish state, while emphasizing his deep appreciation to the American leader about the aid-agreement as well as the strong military and intelligence cooperation between Washington and Jerusalem, which enhances Israel’s security in its chaotic region and perpetuates the strong and unwavering bond between the two countries.
“First I want to thank you for the Memorandum and understanding that we signed last week. It greatly enhances security it fortifies the principle that you’ve been saying many times that Israel should be able to defend itself by itself against any threat. secondly I want to thank you for the extensive security and intelligence cooperation between our two countries I don’t think people at large understand the breadth and depth of this cooperation but I know it and I want to thank you on behalf of all the people of Israel. Third I want to thank you for the many meetings we’ve had in which we discussed how to confront common challenges and how to seize common opportunities. the greatest challenges of course the unremitting fanaticism. the greatest opportunity is to advance a doable peace, that’s a goal that I and the people of Israel will never give up. We’ve been fortunate that in pursuing these two tasks Israel has no greater friend than the United States of America and America is no greater friend than Israel,” said Netanyahu.
President Barack Obama, on his part, declared that “it is important for America’s national security to ensure a safe and secure Israel,” stressing that the Jewish state is one of Washington’s most important allies.
“The bond between the United States and Israel is unbreakable, it is based on common values, family ties, a recognition that the Jewish state of Israel is one of our most important allies and a guiding principle throughout my presidency one that I’ve expressed often to the Prime Minister is that it is important for America’s national security to ensure that we have a safe and secure Israel, one that can defend itself,” said Obama.
A top official from the prime minister’s entourage said that Netanyahu’s meeting with the American president was positive and that their disagreements, particularly regarding Israeli settlements on lands the international community does not recognize as part of the Jewish state, were on the fringe of the conversation. The Israeli official said that Netanyahu told Obama that the settlements were not the root of the conflict with the Palestinians and were an obstacle to nothing. A senior American official said that Obama aired the United States’ concerns at the meeting, including the expansion of settlements and undermining the chances of realizing a two-state solution – which is the preferred outcome of the United States Administration.