WASHINGTON – As allies closely monitor Iran's movements toward becoming a member of the nuclear club, President Obama assured Israel's leader on Monday that the United States "will always have Israel's back" even while pursuing a "window that allows for a diplomatic resolution."

Meeting at the White House a day after Obama addressed the nation's top Israel lobby, the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, the two agreed that diplomacy is the best route for now although Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that his nation reserves the right to defend itself.

"When I say all options are on the table I mean it. Having said that I know both the prime minister and I prefer to solve this diplomatically," Obama said. The U.S. will consider all options in confronting what it sees as the unacceptable outcome of an Iranian bomb, he added...

(CNSNews.com) – The White House is distancing itself from remarks by an American ambassador and 2008 Obama campaign fundraiser suggesting that hatred of Jews was linked to Israeli actions, but some critics said the comments align with a “blame Israel” mentality in the administration.

Republican presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney said Sunday President Obama should fire U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Howard Gutman, and several U.S. Jewish organizations also are calling for him to be rebuked or recalled.

Adding to Obama’s troubles were comments Friday night by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who told a Brookings Institution event Israelis should “get to the damn table” and negotiate with the Palestinians.

The White House is declining to comment about an audio tape from last week's G20 summit that captured President Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy venting about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom Sarkozy calls a "liar."

The conversation overheard by reporters -- who evidently agreed not to report it because it was captured before the two leaders thought they were on-mic -- was picked up on English and French simultaneous translation headsets.

According to French website, Arret sur images, which analyzes media coverage of current affairs, Obama was heard asking Sarkozy to help persuade the Palestinians to stop their efforts to gain U.N. recognition of a Palestinian state.
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UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the U.N. General Assembly on Friday that he was reaching out to the Palestinian people but cautioned that peace could not be won with a U.N. resolution.

"I extend my hand to the Palestinian people," he told the 193-nation assembly, shortly after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas submitted an application for full U.N. membership to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon despite Israeli and U.S. objections.

"The truth is that Israel wants peace, the truth is that I want peace," he said, adding that "we cannot achieve peace through U.N. resolutions."

"The Palestinians should first make peace with Israel and then get their state," he said...

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel "will be generous" in giving back land to establish a Palestinian state, but will not return to the 1967 borders and will not agree to a divided Jerusalem.

Netanyahu, in an address before a joint meeting of Congress, outlined his terms for peace following a dispute with President Obama over the boundaries of a future Palestinian state. Obama last week called for a two-state solution based on Israel's borders before the 1967 Six Day War. Netanyahu, along with pro-Israel members of Congress, said those lines would endanger the security of Israel -- a claim the prime minister repeated Tuesday...

WASHINGTON -- Israel's prime minister promised to present his vision for an Israeli-Palestinian peace in a speech before U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday, but vowed his country would not return to mid-1967 borders that he termed "indefensible."

Benjamin Netanyahu made this pledge in an address Monday to thousands of pro-Israel American Jews and U.S. lawmakers. His speech drew roaring cheers and standing ovations, a sign of the powerful backing he enjoys in the U.S. as the White House pressures him to do more to renew stalled Mideast peacemaking.

The warm reception Netanyahu enjoyed at the gala dinner of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee contrasted sharply with the contentious quality of some of his recent exchanges with President Barack Obama precisely over border issues...

The frosty relationship between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will endure another test Friday, as the two meet in the Oval Office following a bombshell policy shift by the U.S. on terms for Mideast peace.

Obama, in a sweeping address tackling the uprisings in the Middle East and the stalled peace process, stunned Washington and Jerusalem Thursday by endorsing Palestinians' demand for their own state based on the pre-1967 borders. The break with U.S. policy appeared to immediately aggravate the Israelis, who want the borders of any future Palestinian state determined through negotiations.

In a statement released late Thursday, Netanyahu said such a withdrawal would put at risk Israel's security. He effectively called on Obama to recant his latest demand...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu challenged President Obama on Thursday to reaffirm U.S. commitments to allow Israel to keep major settlements in the West Bank as part of any final peace deal with the Palestinian Authority.

The Israeli leader made the request ahead of his White House visit Friday and an hour after Mr. Obama delivered his major speech on the Middle East in which he said Israel’s 1967 border should be the basis for negotiating the borders of a Palestinian state.

After Mr. Obama’s speech, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called an emergency meeting of Palestinian leaders...

President Obama, in a sweeping address tackling the uprisings in the Middle East and the stalled peace process, on Thursday endorsed Palestinians' demand for their own state based on the borders that existed before the 1967 Six-Day War.

The break with longstanding U.S. policy is likely to aggravate the Israelis, who want the borders of any future Palestinian state determined through negotiations. The declaration comes ahead of a meeting in Washington between Obama and visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The status quo is unsustainable," Obama said. "A lasting peace will involve two states for two peoples"...

More than four dozen conservative leaders have signed a published letter to show their support for the nation of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he prepares to visit the U.S.

The open letter, which says, "Israel: You're not alone. We stand with you" has been published in The Wall Street Journal and The Jerusalem Post. The 49 signatories want the Israeli leader to know that millions of Americans stand with Israel and welcome him on his visit to the United States.

"Mr. Prime Minister, be strong and courageous," the letter reads. "We stand with your right to secure Israel's borders without giving away additional land to your openly avowed enemies who do not recognize your right to exist. We believe Israel's ancient prophets who warned of dire consequences to any nation who would divide your land [Joel 3:1-2]"...