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          Iran, Israel Violence on Agenda for Obama - Netanyahu Talks

   by Chris Hannas, Smita Nordwall

   U.S. President Barack Obama is hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
   Netanyahu for talks Monday as the Israeli leader makes his first visit
   to Washington since a group of six world powers signed a nuclear deal
   with Iran.

   Netanyahu was among the July agreement's most vocal critics, saying it
   would not slow Iran's work toward a nuclear weapon and would put Israel
   in danger.  He highlighted his concerns in an address to the
   Republican-controlled U.S. Congress in March during a trip where he did
   not meet with Obama.

   The White House said the Iranian deal will be among the regional
   security issues that Obama and Netanyahu will discuss in the meeting
   that will also be attended by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.

   Hours before he left Israel, Netanyahu said the talks would focus on
   "strengthening the security" of Israel.  He said Israel's security is
   something the U.S. has always been committed to, with the goal of
   maintaining Israel's comparative advantage in the face of a changing
   Middle East.

   Israel already receives more than $3 billion per year in U.S. military
   aid, and officials say Netanyahu hopes to get that raised to $4 or $5
   billion each year. The current 10-year arrangement expires in 2017.

   But U.S. officials have said a new defense deal will not be finalized
   during the Obama-Netanyahu summit.

   The two leaders also are expected to discuss the fresh wave of
   Israeli-Palestinian violence that began two months ago at a Jerusalem
   holy site and spread across Israel and into the West Bank and Gaza
   Strip.

   U.S. officials said Obama and Netanyahu will discuss steps to prevent
   further confrontation between the Mideast parties in the absence of a
   peace agreement. They said that while Obama remains committed to a
   two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians, he does not
   believe it is possible before he leaves office.

   The visit also comes amid a dispute over the Israeli prime minister's
   new spokesman, Ron Baratz.  In a posting on Facebook, Baratz said
   Obama's response to Netanyahu's last visit "is what modern
   anti-semitism looks like in Western liberal countries." He also said
   U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has the mental capacity of a
   12-year-old.

   The State Department called the comments "troubling and offensive," and
   claimed that Netanyahu has promised to "review" the appointment.

   In a new Facebook post, Baratz apologized for the "hurtful remarks" he
   posted and said he was sorry he had not informed Netanyahu in advance
   about them.

   Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said he wouldn't expect the
   issue to come up when the two leaders meet in the Oval Office Monday
   morning.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/iran-israel-violence-on-agenda-for-ob
   ama-netanyahu-talks/3049705.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/iran-israel-violence-on-agenda-for-obama-netanyahu-talks/3049705.html