WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, Netanyahu was set to meet US President Barack Obama in Washington, DC, to discuss Israel's purchase of US military equipment as well as other issues, including recognition of the Palestinian State.
Shortly ahead of the meeting, the White House said that it anticipated that a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine is unlikely to be reached before Obama leaves office in early 2017.
"We have not given up our hope for peace," the Israeli prime minister said, speaking about a two-state solution.
Earlier this year, Obama questioned Netanyahu's commitment to the establishment of a Palestinian state, and said that Netanyahu's stance on the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could jeopardize Israel's credibility as a potential peacemaker.
Monday's meeting comes in the wake of a fresh wave of violence between Israelis and Palestinians amid fears that Israel was planning to revise the status quo at Temple Mount, which houses Islam’s third holiest site, the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Palestinians seek diplomatic recognition of their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip. Israel has been building settlements on the occupied territories, despite objection from the United Nations.
The most recent round of peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians were initiated by the US impetus in mid-2013, but ended in deadlock almost a year later.
