After one of the worst rifts ever in U.S.-Israeli relations, President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week sought to put their differences behind them as the Israeli leader offered to take “concrete steps” toward peace talks with the Palestinians. Relations between the two nations were badly strained in March, when Israel announced plans to build Jewish homes in a Palestinian neighborhood of Jerusalem just as Vice President Joe Biden was visiting. Two weeks later, Obama pointedly declined to hold a joint appearance with Netanyahu following a tense White House meeting.
During this week’s Netanyahu visit, Obama praised Israel’s recent easing of the Gaza blockade and said Netanyahu was “willing to take risks for peace.” The two pledged to work toward direct talks with the Palestinians before September, when a moratorium on Israeli settlement building in the West Bank ends.
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