Washington – An unconvinced President Barack Obama said Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to clarify pre-election statements rejecting creation of a Palestinian state still do not appear to advance the prospect of a two-state solution to Mideast peace.
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Obama said he still takes Netanyahu at his word for comments the Israeli leader made just ahead of the Israeli elections last week that a Palestinian state would not be created while he was prime minister.
He acknowledged that Netanyahu later pointed out that he did not say a Palestinian state would “never” be created. “But, of course, the conditions were such that they would be impossible to meet any time soon,” Obama said.
The friction between the two leaders over the two-state solution issue comes on the heels of bitter disagreements over the U.S. role in international negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. Netanyahu has decried the talks, saying they are leading to a deal that would place Israel at risk. Obama has said the deal would only be finalized if it increases security for the U.S., Israel and the region.
Obama noted a tendency in reporting to frame the current dispute as a personal issue between Netanyahu and Obama. He said he has a “businesslike” relationship with Netanyahu, and has met with him more than any other world leader.
“So the issue is not a matter of relations between leaders. The issue is a very clear substantive challenge,” Obama said. “This can’t be reduced to a matter of somehow let’s hold hands and sing kumbaya.”
Obama says no one has envisioned the creation of a Palestinian state “overnight.” But he said the goal is to give Palestinians hope for a secure state adjoining Israel.
“It’s hard to envision how that happens based on the prime minister’s statements,” Obama said.
“What we can’t do is pretend that there’s a possibility of something that’s not there,” he added.
Obama says he won’t be commenting on reports that Israel spied on closed-door negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
But the president offered assurances that Israel and other partners in the region have been briefed about progress in the negotiations.
Obama says the negotiations will only produce an agreement if the U.S. is confident that it will keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
The president says that if there is an agreement, all sides will be able to “lift up the hood,” as he put it, to make sure it’s a good deal.
Obama spoke during a news conference Tuesday with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the White House.
Enough, already. If Barak Obama does not believe that Bibi Netanyahu believes in a two-state solution, perfect! Bibi should prove him right, not wrong!
That’s right, Mr. President, Israelis dont feel like giving up more land to people who have tried to kill them since 1929, let alone 48, and, who, upon being given land, everytime, or even upon having discussions about giving land, engage in violence and destruction.
So, yes! NO to a two-state solution! There are 22 arab states and ONE Jewish one. That’s it. Period. Enough pandering and lets get on with life.
Arabs have freedom, prosperity, human rights, civil rights in Israel, where they have NONE in the arab world. Arabs are in the supreme court, the knesset, and in the civil service in Israel. You would be doing the Arabs the biggest disservice, by creating yet another terrorist state in that fragile reason.
Stop apologizing to Obama. Say, yes we can have ONLY ONE STATE and FORWARD.
At last B,Hussein has someone to blame for a naive & inept approach to the fantasy of peace in the Middle East based on “turf”.
And that Iran called the USA the great satan that must be destroyed this can be worked out ?
He is a true hater of Jews.
May he pay quickly for his lies and hate
the question is, why did Bibi walk back his statement??? Weakness!! Very damaging. Why did he apologize to the arabs about the bussing comment? Nothing wrong with that. His weakness is our downfall.
it would be laughable to reply, but why bother anymore/
just vote these bums out of office and good riddance to all of them ,even our so called “jewish’elcted officials who have not yet stood up to this president Behaima
Good. There should not be 2 states
Someone please give Obama a Bible and show him the passage that states G-D gave the land of Israel to the Jewish people.
If only the story following the headline -Obama Says Two-State Deal Unlikely After Netanyahu Comments- were about the US president canceling the Iran deal after hearing Bibis Congress speech. Obama may be too busy swatting flies and meeting with NBA players.
What he should be saying or what one should be understanding is that because of his hatred for Bibi, the State of Israel and the Jews, there will never be any peace in the mid-east as long as HE is in the White House.