Today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Barack Obama for the first time since both took office earlier this year. Pressing topics included peace with the Palestians and Iran’s nuclear weapons program. View the press conference on C-Span here.
Recent media reports suggested that a showdown between Israel and the U.S. was on the horizon. One narrative contended that Obama supports a two-state solution while Netanyahu does not. Another narrative suggested that Obama opposes military action against Iran, while Netanyahu insists that the option remain on the table.
Al-Jazeera today repeated the perspective of a brewing rift. But this appears to be wishful thinking; Obama stated today that the U.S. would not negotiate with Iran interminably, and that he would leave “all options on the table.” Netanyahu, for his part, stated that Israel was ready to “immediately” restart peace talks with the Palestinians. As Daniel Pipes predicted, policy differences that exist between the two states will not prompt a crisis in the near term. Indeed, those cheering for a rift will have to wait.
