Shoulder to shoulder, Bibi and Barack reaffirm their 'unbreakable' friendship
The frosty relationship between Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu was thawed by smiles and warm handshakes this week during the Israeli leader's visit to Washington.
After a lunchtime meeting at the White House on Tuesday, President Obama was quick to dismiss widely circulated rumours of a rift between the two leaders.
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This earlier meeting came two weeks after Israel announced a new East Jerusalem building project during Vice President Joe Biden's visit to the Middle East. The timing sparked unprecedented tension between the countries. This week Obama spoke of the "extraordinary friendship" and "unbreakable bond" between Israel and the US.
He also praised Netanyahu for his commitment to peace and refrained from criticising Israeli settlements or pushing the Likud leader to extend the current 10-month West Bank building moratorium, due to end in September.
Obama said: "Prime Minister Netanyahu wants peace. I think he's willing to take risks for peace. The discussion that we had was excellent. We've seen over the last year how our relationship has broadened. Sometimes this isn't publicised."
Netanyahu was clearly delighted by the level of cooperation shown by Obama, describing it as "extensive" while moving to highlight their friendly relationship.
He said: "Not everything is seen by the public, but it is seen and appreciated by us. We discussed a great deal about moving forward the quest for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. We've begun proximity talks. With the help of President Obama, we should engage in direct talks to reach a political settlement, coupled with security and prosperity."
There had been speculation about whether Netanyahu would cave in to expected demands to extend the settlement freeze, a move that could break his coalition. However, no direct reference was made to the freeze by either leader.
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