Much applause and laughter from a receptive D.C. audience as Netanyahu takes the stage at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee annual policy conference.
Mar. 4, 2014 | 8:44 PM

Thank you. Thank you very much.

I bring you greetings from Jerusalem, the eternal, undivided capital of Israel and the Jewish people.

I want to thank all of you for working so tirelessly to strengthen the alliance between Israel and America. American support for Israel and for that alliance is at an all-time high. And I can tell you that there is no country on earth that is more pro-American than Israel.

So I want to thank the leaders of AIPAC, the officers of AIPAC, the 14,000 delegates of AIPAC, the members of Congress, the members of the Israeli government — Tzipi Livni, Limor Livnat, Yuval Steinitz, Deputy Minister Elkin, members of the Knesset — and our two able ambassadors, the ambassador of Israel to the United States Ron Dermer and the ambassador of the U.S. to Israel, Dan Shapiro, and our UN ambassador, Ron Prosor. Everyone, I want to thank you all for safeguarding and nurturing the most precious alliance in the world, the alliance between Israel and the United States of America.

My friends, I’ve come here to draw a clear line.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.577920

U.S. president to ask Abbas to accept framework agreement, and to agree to extend deadline for talks.

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Barack Obama promised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting in Washington that he would put pressure on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas "to make tough decisions," a top U.S. official told Haaretz.

The official said Obama told Netanyahu he would ask Abbas during a March 17 meeting at the White House to accept the framework agreement Kerry is formulating and to agree to extend the deadline for talks until the end of 2014.

According to the official, the conversation between Obama and Netanyahu went well without tension or confrontation. He said the main topic of discussion was the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

"The president did not lecture Prime Minister Netanyahu but told him there is now an opportunity to make progress with the Palestinians," the official said.

According to the official, Obama's message to Netanyahu behind closed doors was similar to what he said in front of cameras before the meeting.

"The president told Netanyahu the framework agreement would benefit Israel since it would let the negotiations continue and because Israel could influence the details of the agreement," he said. "The president also told Netanyahu that now is the time to make decisions."

One of the topics Obama raised with Netanyahu was the opportunities and benefits Israel would gain from making progress in the peace talks.

Officials in the U.S. administration said they were glad Netanyahu brought up the exchange with Obama during his address at the annual AIPAC Policy Conference on Tuesday.

'An end to negotiations'

Top Palestinian officials reacted harshly to the contents of Netanyahu's speech.

Fatah central committee member and former negotiator Nabil Shaath said that Netanyahu's demand for recognition of Israel as a Jewish State was tantamount to an “an official announcement of a unilateral end to negotiations,” AFP reported.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.578010

Labor leader Herzog 'believes less and less' that Netanyahu wants to lead Israel to a diplomatic solution.

By Haaretz | Mar. 4, 2014 |

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a unilateral end to peace talks in his speech at the annual AIPAC conference, a top Palestinian official said on Tuesday.

In his address to a gathering of the pro-Israel lobby, Netanyahu reiterated his demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a nation-state of the Jewish people.

"President Abbas, recognize the Jewish state," Netanyahu declared. "In doing so you will tell your people that, though we have a territorial dispute, Israel's right to exist is beyond dispute. You would finally make it clear that you are truly prepared to end the conflict."

Fatah central committee member and former negotiator Nabil Shaath responded that Netanyahu's demand was tantamount to an “an official announcement of a unilateral end to negotiations,” AFP reported.

Both the demand for recognition and Netanyahu's insistence on keeping Israeli troops along the Jordan Valley in a future Palestinian state, were “totally rejected,” Shaath said.

Netanyahu's speech brought nothing new, said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "The intention of Netanyahu's continued demand to recognize Israel as the Jewish state is to waste time and avoid reaching a true, just and viable peace agreement," he said.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.577941