Benjamin Netanyahu to visit President Obama

Benjamin Netanyahu will be meeting with President Obama at the White House today. Image from Flickr.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with President Barack Obama at the White House this evening. The meeting is closed to reporters, but most reports indicate that the talks are most likely going to be focused on the recent Israeli announcements that an East Jerusalem settlement has been approved, pending the developer's secured loans. Some politicians are also hoping that the meeting between Netanyahu and Obama will include discussions of the diplomat representing Israel being kicked out of Britain.

Netanyahu and Obama to discuss peace talks

One of the major topics on the docket for the meeting between Netanyahu and Obama will be the restarting of indirect peace talks with Israel and Palestine. Over the last few decades, the United States has mediated several peace talks between Israel and Palestine, though tensions in the region remain high. Israel, through their Prime Minister Netanyahu, has recently announced plans to allow 1,600 new settler homes in East Jerusalem. The United States, through Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has condemned the plans, and tensions between Netanyahu and Obama have sense been very high.

Netanyahu takes a stand on Jerusalem

Jersulem has long been a disputed district in the Israel-Palestine conflict. In a speech to Israel's supporters in Washington DC given before he met with Obama, Netanyahu stated that "Jerusalem is not a settlement. It's our capital." He also very carefully outlined that while the relationship between the U.S. and Israel may be strained, any attempts to break off the relationship would not work. Netanyahu has advocated on multiple occasions that the easiest path to peace between Israel and Palestine would be an "economic path" - relying on commerce and money loans to make peace. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Benjamin Netanyahu to visit President Obama"