keywords: president barack obama, prime minister benjamin netanyahu of israel, u.s. - israeli relations
Synopsis: At a news conference on July 6, 2010, President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to soothe what has been perceived as rocky relations. Obama said the U.S.-Israeli bond is unbreakable and the United States is committed to Israel’s security. We are committed to that special bond and will do what’s required to back that up, not just with words, but with actions. Netanyahu said of solving years of strife with Palestinians: “We’re committed to that peace. I’m committed to that peace and reports of the demise of the U.S.-Israel relationship are “flat wrong.” Obama hailed Israel’s recent decision to greatly ease its 3-year blockade of the Gaza Strip as “real progress.” And he said he believes Netanyahu wants peace with the Palestinians and is serious about resuming the face-to-face Mideast peace talks that broke off in December 2008.
Reporters asked questions after the statements from the two leaders.
