By Cat
Viglienzoni - July 7, 2010
Leaders of the United States and Israel want everyone to
know there is no rift between their countries. President Barack Obama and
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both stressed the 'unbreakable' ties
between their nations in a meeting at the White House on Tuesday. They also
pledged to work together toward direct peace talks in the Middle East.
Netanyahu promised 'concrete steps to move the negotiations
along in "a very robust way." He predicted direct negotiations with
Palestinians could begin this summer.
"We're committed to that peace; I'm committed to that
peace," he said. "And this peace I think will better the lives of Israelis, of
Palestinians, and it certainly would change our region."
The meeting comes amid speculation that relations between
the U.S. and Israel are deteriorating after Israel announced new settlement
plans during Vice President Joe Biden's visit in March. The United States had
been pressuring Israel to halt construction and Biden called the announcement "precisely the kind of step that undermines the trust
we need right now." But Netanyahu called reports of tension "just
flat wrong," something Obama also affirmed.
"The United States is committed to Israel's security, we
are committed to that special bond, and we are going to do what's required to
back that up, not just with words but with actions," Obama said.
Obama acknowledged tensions in the region but remained
optimistic that a solution could be found. He said the U.S. and Israel are
working on solving issues and praised Israel's recent easing of restrictions on
the blockade of Gaza to allow consumer food products and most household goods.
"We believe that there is a way to make sure that the
people of Gaza are able to prosper economically while Israel is able to
maintain its legitimate security needs," he said.
However, they did not indicate significant progress on
the issues that hinder progress with negotiations. Neither Obama nor Netanyahu mentioned
the deadly May raid on a flotilla trying to break through the blockade or
Israel's refusal to apologize for the incident after international outcry. They
also did not touch on the controversial issue of Jewish settlements in the West
Bank. The ban on new settlements expires in September.
Palestinian officials will decide in the same month
whether to continue with U.S.-brokered talks. Currently, Netanyahu and
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas communicate through U.S. Middle
East envoy George Mitchell.
The leaders also said they talked about efforts to
restrict Iran's nuclear program, which Netanyahu called "the greatest new
threat on the horizon." They agreed that the international community is working
to isolate Iran because of its nuclear ambitions after the U.N Security Council
imposed new sanctions.
The visit was Netanyahu's fifth since he took office last
spring.
(Photo
courtesy: AP Images)
