The connection between Israel and the United States is strong and firm, Cabinet Secretary Zvi Hauser said on Sunday, adding that "differences of opinion are healthy in a friendship between like this."
Speaking with Army Radio, Hauser said: "[US President Barack] Obama explained that there is an urgent need for a settlement that brings about two nation-states, and specifically said it is the Palestinians who abandoned negotiations and adopted a unilateral path that has no chance."
Obama's statements, he explained, are "similar to [Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu's argument that there is no partner [for peace] in Hamas."
The cabinet secretary also discussed settlement blocs, saying that they are part of a core understanding between Israeli political parties. "Netanyahu said [that] firmly, without cutting corners or and without delay."
He added, "The dynamic of the political process includes times when it is necessary to clarify positions and principles - and that is what we saw in the meeting last Friday," referring to Netanyahu's White House meeting with Obama in Washington.
