Seeking to repair his strained relations with President Barack Obama and Democrats in general, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on a visit to Washington, said it was vital for him to ensure that Israel remained a subject of bipartisan consensus in the US.
Mr. Netanyahu’s belligerent opposition to the nuclear deal with Iran, particularly in his address to the US Congress in March, had put considerable strain on the relationship between the two leaders. However, on Tuesday, the Israeli leader who was speaking at the Democratic-leaning Center for American Progress (CAP) was effusive in his praise for Mr. Obama. The event was organised at the behest of Mr. Netanyahu. He said he wanted to “talk to a progressive audience about progressive values.”
“It is no lip service,” he said after describing his meeting with Mr. Obama as “very good.” “He had more meetings with me than any other leader in the world. And I deeply appreciate that….the importance that he attaches to this relationship is unique. We have had disagreements in the past, particularly over Iran. That is clear. But we have no disagreements now, moving forward,” Mr. Netanyahu said, adding that he and the President agreed to “hold Iran’s feet to the fire and ensure that they abide by their obligations.”
He said they also agreed to “work to block Iran’s aggression and terror in the region, and its international terror networks.”
Taking some tough questions from CAP President Neera Tanden who moderated the discussion, Mr. Netanyahu said he should not have made the statement, “Arab voters are coming out in droves,” during his re-election campaign in March.
“I think this statement, as it was said, was wrong. First of all, I should know that Arabs have voted for me….It shouldn’t have been said. A few days after the elections, I invited Arab leaders to the prime minister’s residence and I said, I am the prime minister of each of you. I did not want that statement to go uncorrected. I corrected it. And they understand it…I am the prime minister of all Israeli citizens – those who voted for me, those who have not voted for me. Jews, Arabs, Druze, Circassians, Muslims and Christians,” he said, and added. “It comes from the political philosophy, you will be surprised to hear, that I follow, especially…. in the ideal of an egalitarian state.”
Mr. Netanyahu said he and the President talked about a long-term understanding on American military assistance to Israel that would ensure Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region.
Speaking on the road ahead for the Israel-Palestine relations, Mr. Netanyahu said everything depended on two factors – Palestine’s willingness to accept a Jewish state and Israel’s authority to control security threats. “We cannot have another Gaza, which is the opposite of peace,” he said. Mr. Netanyahu said he was willing to talk without any conditions, and blamed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for no progress in peace talks. “When I say to Abu Mazen (another name for Mr Abbas), for God’s sake, recognise the Jewish state already, as I recognise the Palestinian state, and for God’s sake, let’s talk about long-term security arrangements, so we have those two acres for real peace,” he said, “He will not do it.”
