Ayalon on Obama speech: Disagreement between friends

Deputy foreign minister says US president stood up for Israel's right to self-defense, defensible borders, won't force agreement on J'lem.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Danny Ayalon 311 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Danny Ayalon 311
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon Saturday said that US President Barack Obama's speech, in which he called for a future peace deal to be based on pre-1967 lines, was positive regarding Israel.
"Obama remains committed to Israel as a Jewish state and even demanded answers from the Palestinians regarding the reconciliation deal with Hamas," Ayalon said at a cultural event in Holon.
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"The president stood up for Israel's right to self-defense," Ayalon added, as well as "the need for defensible borders and the end to [all] claims."
The deputy foreign minister continued, "It is clear from Obama's speech that no agreement will be forced upon Israel and that unilateral measures will fail."
Addressing the conflict of positions regarding pre-1967 borders, which the US president demanded be a basis for future borders in his speech Thursday, Ayalon said, "It's a type of disagreement between good friends that has not influenced the past and will not influence the deep friendship and natural alliance between Israel and the US [in the future]."