Israel dwarfs Palestinian justice to hit Iran

(press tv) The US and Israel showed how their stance differ on such issues as Iran and Palestinian statehood. A meeting between the U.S. president and the Israeli prime minister dashes Palestinian hopes and links the long-stalled peace process to Iranian enrichment activities.  Amid lingering friction between Tel Aviv and Washington on how to deal with Iran's nuclear program and the issue of Palestinian statehood, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sat down with President Barack Obama on Monday.  President Obama insisted that the United States is engaged in a process "to reach out to Iran" and to persuade the Tehran government to change course on its pursuit of nuclear energy.  The U.S. president went on to assure the Israeli premier that his willingness to engage Tehran diplomatically has its limits but said he would allow pressure to make him "set an artificial deadline".  "My expectation would be that if we can begin discussions soon, shortly after the Iranian elections, we should have a fairly good sense by the end of the year as to whether they are moving in the right direction and whether the parties involved are making progress and that there's a good faith effort to resolve differences," explained the president. "I assured the prime minister that we are not foreclosing a range of steps, including much stronger international sanctions, in assuring that Iran understands that we are serious," President Obama told a press conference after the meeting. Sitting side by side in the White House at a delicate time in relationships between the two sides, the two leaders moved to the issue of Palestine and the dormant two-state solution. The U.S. president took a tough line on the construction of settlements on Arab land and went on to urge Israel to seize a "historic opportunity" and work earnestly for peace. Tel Aviv's visiting right-wing premier responded that Israel is ready to live "side by side" with Palestinians but indirectly rejected U.S. calls for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Any agreement, he said, depends on Palestinian acceptance of Israel's right to exist "as a Jewish state".Netanyahu then made an attempt to persuade the White House that Iran's nuclear program must be reined in before there can be progress in the establishment of peace with the Palestinians. He said the worst danger Israel faces is "that Iran would develop nuclear military capabilities". "I very much appreciate, Mr. President, your firm commitment to ensure that Iran does not develop nuclear military capability, and also your statement that you're leaving all options on the table," Netanyahu added. President Obama has made a pledge to exhaust all diplomatic possibilities with regards to Iran before taking a step toward taking tough measures against the country over its nuclear program. Top administration officials have signaled deep unease about an eventual military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities should diplomacy and sanctions fail. The right-wing Israeli premier, however, has expressed skepticism that Iran would respond positively to President Obama's appeals and has made a pledge to stop Iran's nuclear program if the U.S. fails to do so. The new government in Tel Aviv has sparked controversy with its contentions that the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama would under-no-circumstance show opposition to Israeli policies. "Believe me, America accepts all our decisions," Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, a centerpiece in the controversy, said in April in his first interview on foreign policy. Although the long-awaited meeting has managed to cast some doubt on the extent of Israeli grip on the Obama administration, little progress has been made on the issue of Palestinian rights. Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat commented on the meeting that the conditions sought by Israel undermine any negotiations before they even start. m"He (Netanyahu) says that he wants me to govern myself by myself. I have one simple question: How can I do that when roadblocks are suffocating us in towns and refugee camps? When the army makes incursions wherever they want? When the demolition of homes continues?" Erekat asked.