An observation from the Oval Office on May, 20 Friday at the White House

Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Obama 

Oval Office Meeting

Both leaders had previously had a one- on- one meeting in the oval office that lasted approximately 2 hours. As the pool journalist, I entered the room at 1.34 pm. (As a representative of the White House Foreign Press Pool).
President Obama spoke first followed by Prime Minister Netanyahu. 

The key message stated clearly by President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu was that both nations wanted a real and lasting peace but in search of that peace Israel could not be expected to negotiate with an organization that supported terrorism and refused to recognize the existence of Israel. As Netanyahu stated "Israel will not negotiate with Hamas". Both President and Prime Minister said that the Palestinians need to do some soul searching with respect to the reconciliation between Hamas and Fattah. 

PM Netanyahu agreed that the Palestinian refugee problem must be solved but the resolution cannot be achieved within the Israeli borders.

President Obama reiterated that the US will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. And he also noted the hypocrisy of Iran's comments on democracy in the Middle East bearing in mind the political circumstances in Iran. 

Also, President Obama referred back to some of the issues regarding negotiations between Israel and Palestinians that he raised in his speech at the State Department yesterday: "The United States believes that negotiations should result in two states, with permanent Palestinian borders with Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, and permanent Israeli borders with Palestine.  We believe the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states.  The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, and reach their full potential, in a sovereign and contiguous state".