Obama and Netanyahu: The press conference
CSPAN has the full video.
Here's Ron Kampeas' initial report:
WASHINGTON (JTA) -- President Obama said he would reassess his policies of engagement with Iran by the end of this year.
Obama, who appeared before reporters Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after their first White House meeting, also said that the United States was considering all options in dealing with Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program.
"I assured the prime minister that we are not foreclosing a range of steps, including sanctions, in ensuring that Iran understands that we are serious," Obama said, following the 2 1/2-hour meeting, which also included close advisers to both leaders.
Netanyahu arrived in Washington hoping to find out how long the Obama administration was giving the Iranians to respond substantively to the president's offer of outreach.
After the meeting, Obama rejected "artificial deadlines" for engagement with Iran, but added, "We're not going to have to talk forever, we're not going to have a situation where talks become an excuse for inaction."
"We will probably be engaged and have an assesment by the end of the year."
Obama reiterated his commitment to a two-state solution, while Netayahu resolutely refused to commit to Palestinian statehood. Instead, Netanyanu again said Israel was serious about resuming the full range of negotiations with the Palestinians.
Obama said that both sides must abide by previous commitments, calling on the Palestinians to rein in violence against Israel, but also urging Netanyahu to stop settlement expansion and allow humanitarian goods into the Gaza Strip.
Both leaders said that Iranian and Israeli-Palestinian issues have a causal effect on one another, but rejected any formal linkage between the issues.
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iTS AMAZING HOW THESE ARMCHAIR PUNDITS KNOW WHAT ISRAEL WILL HAVE TO DO. FOR WEEKS THE BLOGS HAVE BEEN SHOUTING HOW OBAMA WAS GOING TO LAY DOWN THE LAW TO NETENYAHU AND ISRAEL WAS GOING TO HAVE TO GIVE UP MORE OF HER TINY COUNTRY TO APPEASE THE ARABS. MR HICKS, IT AINT GOING TO HAPPEN. ANY PRESSURE BY THE us WILL NOT BE DONE IN THE OPEN, AND, I BELIEVE , IT WILL BE A LONG TIME IN COMING IF AT ALL. IT WON’T HAPPEN BECAUSE AT THIS MOMENT THERE IS NO ONE TO MAKE PEACE WITH. ISRAEL WILL NOT LET ANYTTHING INTO GAZA EXCEPT FOR HUMANITY AID, AND WILL GET NO PRESSURE ON THAT. tHERE WILL BE RELAXATION OF SOME ROAD BLOCKS IN THE WEST BANK, BUT SETTLEMENTS WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND. tHE MAIN REASON THESE THINGS WILL HAPPEN IS THAT THE SO CALLED MODERATE ARAB STATES REALLY DON’T CARE ABOUT THE PALESTINIANS. THEY ARE MIGHTY SCARED OF IRAN AND THATS WHERE THEY WILL OBAMA TO PUT HIS EFFORTS. eGYPT WILL TELL HIM NEXT WEEK, AND THE sAUDIES HAVE ALREADY SENT THAT MESSAGE. oNE THING ABOUT oBAMA, HE IS NOT MARRIED TO ANY OF HIS PROPOSALS IF THERE IS ENOUGH RESISTENCE PUT ON HIM. CASE IN POINT IS GUANTANIMO.
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david hicks
05/18/09 09:26 PM
Sorry to say guys , you , the Israeelis are going to have to hand back some of the Occupied Terttitory. That will hurt