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TechnoratiUS and Israel reaffirm "special bond"
The relationship between Israel and the United States was described as “deep” and “multi-layered” on Thursday, in an article written by Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Michael Oren. This came a day after US President Barack Obama denied there was a crisis in US-Israeli relations, following a row over settlement construction.
Oren wrote that “even the closest allies can sometimes disagree” in a New York Times opinion piece, denying that it was a historic low point in US-Israeli relations.
Israel wants to start “proximity” talks, according to Oren, which he says Israel “hopes will lead to a direct dialogue and historic and permanent peace”.
The comments came a day after US President Barack Obama made his first public comments since US Vice President Joe Biden visited the Jewish state.
“We and the Israeli people have a special bond that’s not going to go away,” Obama said during an interview.
He denied it would affect US-Israeli relations, before adding that “friends are going to disagree sometimes”.
Obama acknowledged that the construction of new settler homes had been the responsibility of the Israeli Interior Ministry and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had already apologised.
Fierce rioting erupted in Jerusalem earlier this week amid tension over settler expansion and a Hamas call for a new Palestinian “intifada” or uprising.
On Wednesday Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said demands to halt settlement construction were "unreasonable".
He said this issue was "an opportunity for the international community to jump on Israel and apply pressure", during a press conference with EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton.
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