Palestinians: Obama encouraging, Netanyahu disappointing

An aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas heaped praise Monday on U.S. President Barack Obama for his "encouraging" commitment to a two-state solution in his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while lambasting Netanyahu for his "disappointing" remarks.

Obama, speaking after his two-hour White House talks with Netanyahu, said it was in the interests of both Israel and the Palestinians to reach a two-state solution. The creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip has long been the foundation of the Israel-Palestinian peace process, and backed by Netanyahu's predecessors Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak.

Netanyahu, in his remarks after the meeting, reiterated that he supported self-government for the Palestinians but made no mention of a state, a position underscoring a new perceived rift in U.S.-Israeli relations.

"The statements by Mr. Obama are encouraging while those by Prime Minister Netanyahu are disappointing," senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rudeinah said.

Israeli opposition lawmakers also weighed in with criticism of Netanyahu, calling the meeting a waste of time and accusing the prime minister of "unintelligible chatter."

"It is a shame that the number one Israeli expert on understanding American political culture failed in his attempt to seduce Obama with unintelligible chatter," said Kadima MK Ze'ev Boim. "...[Netanyahu] missed an opportunity to forge real trust, just as he is about to squander the historic opportunity mentioned by the president."

Fellow Kadima MK Ze'ev Bielski, a former head of the Jewish Agency, described Netanyahu's trip as "pointless."

"Bibi [Netanyahu] should have known that verbal acrobatics won't convince Obama, and he would have been better off if he'd arrived with an organized idea on how to handle the Palestinian issue in order to achieve American support on Iran," he said.

"The prime minister traveled all the way to Washington to hear from Obama the same thing Kadima has been saying for a long time," he went on. "The prime minister needs to understand this message in a hurry, before he finds himself under unbearable international pressure and a constant threat of global isolation."

A politician on the right of the political spectrum, however, said that the meeting proved Obama was not committed to Israel's security in teh face of the threat from a nuclear Iran.

"There is room for real concern since the U.S. is shirking its historical obligation to guarantee Israel's safety," said MK Aryeh Eldad of the National Union party. "The U.S. is saying, in effect, that it is willing to accept a nuclear Iran, and Israel remains alone in the face of Iran. Israel will have no choice but to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities alone, using any means available, may the price be what it may."

But Netanyahu's own Likud party called the meeting a success, saying that it highlighted the ongoing strong ties between Israel and the U.S.

"The forecasts of a tense meeting between Netanyahu and Obama were dispelled," said MK Ophir Akunis. "The meeting proved once again the power of the deep connection between Israel and the U.S. The government is committed to the peace process with the Palestinians, not on the basis of two states for two peoples but on the basis of Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state."

Outside the White House, pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protesters drew most of the police attention even though they were far outnumbered by protesters for other causes.

A human divider of police officers separated protesters holding Palestinian flags and signs condemning Israel's roadblocks in the Palestinian territories, and others holding signs comparing Obama and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler in 1939 and urging Obama to prevent the "Islamic takeover of the Holy Land."

Members of the anti-Zionist ultra-Orthodox sect Naturei Karta were also present, waving Palestinian flags and arguing that the Jews have been lamenting the creation of the Jewish state for 61 years. Members of the group have come under fire for meeting with Ahmadinejad in Iran at a conference questioning whether the Holocaust took place.

Netanyahu returns to Israel on Tuesday.