The IssuesThere is one main area of disagreement: endorsement of a two-state solution. Obama supports Palestinian statehood, which was likely a central focus of the meeting. Netanyahu has not endorsed it, arguing that Israel needs security guarantees and a clear Palestinian partner for peace talks.
They also contend over Israel's settlements. The American government is seeking a freeze and the dismantlement of outposts. Israel argues that "natural growth" cannot and should not be stopped.
As the leaders meet, a Jewish settlement official said contractors had taken steps to begin building the new settlement of Maskiot in the Jordan River valley with 20 homes, the first new settlement in 26 years. He said a decision in principle to go ahead was made last year by Israel's Defense Ministry.
Netanyahu and Obama also disagree over Iran. The Israeli leader wants a time limit for negotiations on Iran's nuclear ambitions, with the threat of military action if no resolution is reached. Obama is unlikely to provide a timetable. Obama sees Palestinian statehood as enabling a broader and more effective coalition against Iran since Arab states would be able politically to participate. Netanyahu argues that solving Iran will make Israel-Palestinian peace more likely.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said earlier this month that world powers should take action against Iran if it does not curb its nuclear activities by August. They leave open the possibility of a military attack.
Iran is surely observing these talks very closely.
Though there are areas of agreement, such as aide to Israel and the basic relationship between the two, Israel fears that the close ties are at risk. Current military aid to Israel totals $3 billion per year.
Netanyahu's Schedule
Today, he meets with President Obama, National Security Adviser Jim Jones, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Tomorrow, he meets with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
Then, he will head to the Hill to meet the bipartisan Senate leadership and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He will meet one-on-one with Nancy Pelosi.
What the Analysts are Saying
While the meeting between Obama and Netanyahu are centered on policy, the leaders' personalities and how they interact will establish the relationship as well. Reportedly, Netanyahu is aware of this and is taking measures to "develop a positive relationship based on mutual trust."
Ben Smith of Politico:
If that collision is inevitable, though, it has at least been postponed. Both sides appear to be working hard to make today's meeting low-conflict, as Glenn Kessler wrote over the weekend. That means Netanyahu will agree to a process he sees as basically harmless because it's doomed to failure, and that Obama won't press him to do anything that could cause him dramatic political problems at home.He also contrasts this meeting with the 1998 trip to D.C. where Netanyahu openly met with President Clinton's opposition. This trip, he argues, is designed to project an image of positive, working relations between Likud and the President.
Netanyahu's political position is a precarious one. He is caught between President Obama's positions and his political constituency back home: Israeli settlers and their allies in the Israeli political spectrum. According to the Christian Science Monitor:
"Bibi!" shouts a huge billboard on the back of commuter buses, a warning from one of the more uncompromising constituencies in Israeli politics. "Protect the Land of Israel... History will remember you as a strong leader who didn't surrender."Given that settlements are a key area of disagreement, how Netanyahu balances these two forces will be worth watching.
Some in the Israeli press are skeptical of Obama-Netanyahu negotiations, while others are hopeful.
"Netanyahu needs to concentrate on doing what he knows is right," wrote Ophir Falk in Yediot Aharonot, Israel's most widely-circulated newspaper. "Israel and its American ally clearly have a list of urgent issues to address. These include the global economic crisis and the imminent nuclear threat. The establishment of a Palestinian state is not of top priority. In fact, the Palestinian state may be a non-issue."
"There will be no cozy getting-to-know-you chat in the Oval Office but rather a clear discussion as to whether Israel is going to be a partner to American efforts to improve its relations with the Muslim world or whether we are returning to the fraught days of Israeli-U.S. relations when Yitzhak Shamir was prime minister and George H. Bush was occupying the White House," wrote Jeff Barak of The Jerusalem Post.
"Obama is warning Israel not to go it alone and wants time to see whether his proposed dialogue with Tehran will bear fruit. As part of his plan to defang Iran, the American president needs not just quiet, but progress on the Israeli-Arab front," Barak continued.
One observer fears that Netanyahu is an extremist and that the United States has no choice but to "shackle" him or else the region could face "catastrophe." Strong US intervention against Israel could force Netanyahu to act more rationally, he argues.
HEADLINES
Palestinians end talks in Cairo without deal (Reuters)
Netanyahu, leery of US actions, set to meet with Obama (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Israeli leader's party rejects Palestinian state before talks (Telegraph.co.uk)
Israeli-PA trade reaches NIS 15b. in 2008 (Jerusalem Post)
Peace key for Mideast economies, leaders say (CNN International)
Israel's Peres Says Time Has Come for Regional Peace (Bloomberg)
Palestine and the Palestinians
PNA slams Israeli decision to build new W Bank settlement (Xinhua)
Hamas wants acceptance without changing ideology (The Associated Press)
Hamas accuses Israel, US for blocking internal deal with Fatah (Xinhua)
Palestinians hope Obama will push for statehood (Jerusalem Post)
West Allis IT entrepreneur opens branch in Palestinian territory (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Israeli barrier bites into Palestinian village (Washington Post)
PNA denies secret contacts with Israel to resume peace talks (Xinhua)
Hamas says 11 members arrested in West Bank despite dialogue (Xinhua)
Israel
Likud ministers ready to resist PA state (Jerusalem Post)
Israel's GDP Shrinks for Second Consecutive Quarter (Bloomberg)
'31% of Israelis call Obama pro-Israel' (Jerusalem Post)
Tel Aviv Journal On Fiery Birth of Israel, Memories of 2 Sides Speak (New York Times)
New Israeli-Palestinian chamber of commerce launches in Tel Aviv (Israel 21C)
The Neighbors
Turkey refutes Israel's anti-Syria peace claims (PRESS TV)
Don't expect public diplomacy from Syria, top analyst says (Jerusalem Post)
'Egypt entices Palestinians to unite with Gaza crossings pledge' (Ha'aretz)
Egypt sets deadline for Palestinian deal by July (Reuters)
Lebanon says two suspected spies have escaped to Israel (Jerusalem Post)
LEBANON: Tough life for Palestinians in neglected “gatherings” (IRINnews.org)
International Relations/Law
elbaradei: Israel would be insane to attack Iran (Jerusalem Post)
Tel Aviv University honors Blair for effort to forge solutions in Mideast (Ha'aretz)
Palestinian official: Iran should go between Hamas, Fatah (Xinhua)
Arts and Activism
William Ayers, Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. headline Mideast peace rally (Chicago Tribune)
200 Palestinian protest rightist MKs planned visit to Hebron (Ynetnews)
Commentary
Dore Gold: U.S., Israel share strategic goals (LA Times)
Analysis: Hezbollah win could shake Obama Mideast policy (CNN)
US: Ask Israel to Cooperate with Goldstone Inquiry (Human Rights Watch)
Matthew Yglesias: As Netanyahu Heads to Town, Israel Launches New New Settlement (Think Progress)
Jonathon Cook: How Many Secret Prisons Does Israel Have? UN Torture Watchdog Demands Access (Monthly Review)
Walter Rodgers: Pens and Swords: How the American Mainstream Media Report the Israel-Palestinian Conflist (The Christian Century)
Bernard Avishai: Israeli Arabs: Time Is (Really) Running Out (TPMCafé)
Views expressed on this post or on linked web pages do not represent the Palestine Center, the educational program of the Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development. All content is for educational purposes only.
