President Obama and top Israeli officials staked out sharply opposing positions over the explosive issue of Jewish settlements Thursday, propelling a rare dispute between the two longtime allies into full public view just days before the president is scheduled to deliver an address in Egypt to the world's Muslims.
Obama brushed aside Israeli objections to his call for a complete freeze on settlement activity in Palestinian territory and insisted a halt was one of Israel's obligations in peace talks, a point he made in a meeting last week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
I was very clear about the need to stop building settlements, to stop the building of outposts," Obama said Thursday after meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
The developments put Obama in the unusual position of taking a hard line with Israel early in his administration, adding a note of contention to the start of a grueling period of peace talks that the White House has vowed to aggressively pursue.
By contrast, former President Bush, like most other U.S. leaders, took pains to avoid any appearance of disagreement with the Israelis, even when differences existed.
However, both Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton also have made pointed remarks to Israelis. Clinton on Wednesday said the administration stance on settlements provides for no exceptions, not even for "natural growth," the Israeli term for population increases.
In response, the Netanyahu government reiterated its position Thursday that natural growth should be permitted to occur, to accommodate growing families, for example.
Netanyahu has said he is willing to hold the line on new projects and even to dismantle some smaller "outposts," a stance unpopular with many Israelis who passionately defend the settlements. But the status of existing settlements would be decided later by Israelis and Palestinians, said Mark Regev, the prime minister's spokesman.
"In the interim period, normal life in those communities should continue," he said.
Obama refused to accept that view or to ease his administration's call, stressing the importance of halting settlement growth. He also after meeting with Abbas that Palestinians deserved more freedom of movement in the region and called on Palestinians to follow through on steps to safeguard Israel's security.
Obama also asked Abbas to try to temper vehemently anti-Israeli public sentiment among Palestinians.
"I also mentioned to President Abbas, in a frank exchange, that it was very important to continue to make progress in reducing the incitement and anti-Israel sentiments that are sometimes expressed in schools and mosques and in the public square, because all those things are impediments to peace," Obama said.
The president said he would address the issue of Mideast peace during his speech next Thursday in Egypt, but said his message also will be more basic.
"I want to use the occasion to deliver a broader message about how the United States can change for the better its relationship with the Muslim world," he said. "That will require, I think, a recognition on both the part of the United States as well as many majority-Muslim countries about each other; a better sense of understanding and, I think, the possibilities of achieving common ground."
He said he would stress in the speech the contributions of Muslim Americans, an area he said often is overlooked.
Obama noted the split in Palestinian government, controlled by Abbas' Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and by the militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
"I very much appreciate is that President Abbas has been under enormous pressure to bring about some sort of unity government and to negotiate with Hamas," Obama said, noting Abbas has recognized Israel's right to exist. Hamas does not accept a right of Israel to exist.
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