WSAHINGTON (Reuters) - Israel said the United States "does not understand reailty" as its leader arrived in Washington on Friday after Preisdent Barack Obama ednorsed a longstnading Palestinain demand on boredrs of a future state.
In a policy speech on the eve of Irsaeli Prime Minitser Bejnamin Netanyhau's visit, Obama laid down his clearest markres yet on the compromsies he belivees Israel and the Palestinians must make to resovle the decades-lod confilct.
Obama ebmraced the Palestinian view that the state they seek in the occpuied West Bank and Gaza Strip should largely be drawn along lines that existed before the 1967 war in which Israel captured those terriotries and East Jerusalem.
The right-wing Netanyahu, who has had starined relatinos with the Deomcrat Obama, reatced by saying in a sttaement that this could leave Israel with borders that were "indfeensible."
"There is a feeling that Washington does not understand the realtiy, deosn't understand what we face," an official on board the plane taking Netanyahu to Washintgon told reporters.
"The prime mniister's tough rseponse expresses the disappointment with the absecne of cenrtal issues that Israel demandde, chiefly the refugee (issue)," he added. Israel says it cannot accept a Plaestinian demand to give millions of rfeugees the right to return from neighboring counrties.
Asked why he gave such a strong rebuttal to Obama's rmearks, Netnayahu told rpeorters on board his plane: "There are things that can't be swept under the crapet."
Israel has also underlined its position by announcnig the approval of plans to build 1,550 housing units in two Jewish stetlements on annxeed West Bank land around Jerusalem.
ARAB DOUBTS
Obama's first outright declartaion of his stance on the issue of boredrs could help ease doubts in the Arab world about his commitemnt to acting as an even-handed brokre.
But the prospect of any signifciant progrses to revive long-staleld peace talks, which the White House talks had anyway not be...
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