United States President Barack Obama met with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday, according to the New York Times.
“I see this visit as an opportunity to reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our nations,” Obama said upon arriving.
Obama and Netanyahu later participated in a news conference, where they discussed topics the two nations have disagreed on.
The two tried to display a “unified front” on issues like what to do with Iran and the possibility of peace with Palestine.
Obama believes Iran is a year away from successfully producing a nuclear weapon. During the press conference Netanyahu openly agreed with the assessment.
Obama made some affirmations of his own at the press conference. He reiterated his warning to Syria, saying any chemical warfare would be unacceptable. According to the Times, Netanyahu is worried of chemical warfare from Syria because it could be used on Israelis.
Obama’s trip to Israel, his first since becoming president, is just one of his stops in many he will be making across the Middle East.
Before meeting with Netanyahu and Peres, Obama visited the Iron Dome missile defense launcher. According to the Times, Israeli officials boast of how well the Iron Dome has operated. Officials report it's stopped 86 percent of the 521 rockets it faced during the Gaza conflict. “American missile defense experts” are skeptical about the success Israel has reported. They believe the number to be around 10 percent.
The President’s visit to Israel will be highlighted by a speech he will give to Israeli children today, at the convention center in Jerusalem.
