Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Monday with U.S. President Barack Obama and accused the Palestinians of failing to advance the peace negotiations.
In a meeting in the White House's Oval Office, Netanyahu said that Israel has been doing its part in peace talks and accused the Palestinians of not doing enough.
'It's about time the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state - we have only been there for 4,000 years,' Netanyahu said.
'Twenty years of peace process were marked by many Israeli steps for peace but we got suicide bombers and rockets in return,' Netanyahu said. 'The people of Israel expect me to stand strong against pressure and for the security of Israel.'
Obama said that there have been tough issues in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, but that he believes it is still possible to reach a two-state solution. He commended Netanyahu for approaching the issue with seriousness.
On Iran, Obama said that the U.S. is committed that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon and Netanyahu warned that he will do whatever he must do to defend Israel.
Upon landing in Washington on Sunday, Netanyahu told reporters that he was committed to negotiations for a final settlement and was waiting to see proof that the Palestinians were as well.
'It takes at least three to dance the Middle East tango,' Netanyahu said. 'Two are already there - Israel and the U.S. Now we need to see if the Palestinians are also on board. In any case, in order to reach an agreement, we need to stand firm on our crucial interests. I've proven that I'm doing that, against all pressure and all uncertainty, and I'll continue to do that here as well.'
In an interview with Bloomberg's Jeffrey Goldberg published Sunday, Obama sent an unusually blunt message to Netanyahu, telling him that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was the most moderate leader Israel would encounter in the foreseeable future and that time was running out for a peace deal. Obama, according to Goldberg, gave the impression that Netanyahu was the one who had to be flexible in order to advance the peace talks.
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