Netanyahu to meet with Obama amid friction over Iran
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with US President Barack Obama on March 5, officials announced on Monday, amid growing signs of tension between Israel and the US over thwarting Iran’s nuclear drive.
Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Washington for the annual AIPAC conference where he will be a key guest speaker, and the two leaders will have an official meeting during the second day of the conference.
Israeli prime ministers have commonly met with US presidents when visiting Washington, DC for AIPAC’s annual policy conference. However, this year’s newly announced meeting may prove particularly significant, since it comes amidst a flurry of reports suggesting that Israel is considering military intervention to try to thwart Iran’s nuclear program, and that the Obama Administration is seeking to discourage any such course of action.
The US has been urging Israel to give more time for economic sanctions on Iran to have an impact. Netanyahu, during a visit to Cyprus last Thursday, observed that sanctions were not working. As the US presses Israel to hold back, Israel is urging the US to intensify the sanctions, Channel 2 news reported on Monday.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-to-meet-with-obama/