Global media report that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu "stood firm" against pressure from the Obama administration Monday on the issue of a "two-state solution" with the Palestinian Authority.
“The Israeli prime minister stood firm,” reported France24 after the talk between President Barack Obama and Israel Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. “He said he is ready to negotiate with the Palestinians but only if they recognized Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.”
The combination of “Israel” and “stood firm” – an uncommon one in news reports from recent years – also appeared in a report by the London Telegraph. “Israel stood firm against demands from Barack Obama on Monday to cease the construction of Jewish settlements and embrace the ‘two-state solution’ to achieving peace in the Middle East,” the newspaper said. It added that Netanyahu “made it clear that while he welcomed Mr. Obama's commitment to the region, he was more concerned about dealing with the threat of Iran than peace talks.”
Netanyahu in Oval Office with Obama. At center: Rahm Emanuel (GPO / Flash 90)
French press agency AFP reported that the “intense first talks” between the leaders “laid bare differing approaches on Iran and the U.S. goal of a Palestinian state.” The agency characterized Netanyahu’s remarks after the meeting as “blunt” and describing “an impassioned Netanyahu voicing his fears before reporters that a nuclear-armed Tehran would pose a mortal threat to Israel.”
Netanyahu meets Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (GPO / Flash 90)
“The crucial first meeting between two leaders new to power was Obama's deepest plunge yet into the labyrinth of Middle East peacemaking, which contrasted with his predecessor George W. Bush's initial hands-off approach,” AFP added.
CNN reported that, based on interviews with U.S., Israeli and Arab diplomats, a drastic change in the relationship between Israel and the U.S. is not likely. “The Obama administration won't waiver from the traditional unshakable commitment to Israel's security,” the news outlet estimated.