US President Barack Obama and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu have admitted to “differences” on the path to Mid-East peace, after they met in Washington.
The talks came after Mr Obama said in a key speech that any future Palestinian state must be based on the borders that existed prior to the 1967 war.
A defiant Mr Netanyahu said there may be some concessions but stressed the 1967 lines were “indefensible”.
He said that there could be no peace “based on illusions”.
“[It] will crash eventually on the rocks of Middle East reality,” Mr Netanyahu said.
Mr Obama said the pair had discussed the changes sweeping the region and how they affected the security of the US and Israel.
He said the situation meant there were both “opportunities” and “perils”.
‘Rocks of reality’
Mr Obama said there were differences between the US and Israel on a future state for Palestinians, but that such disputes occurred “between friends”.
He did not bring up the matter of the borders in his joint conference with Mr Netanyahu.
Mr Obama said Palestinians faced “tough choices” following the recent reconciliation deal between Fatah, which runs the West Bank, and Hamas, which governs Gaza and still denies Israel’s right to exist.
He said true peace could only occur if Israel was allowed to defend itself against threats.
Mr Netanyahu also said that “we may have differences here and there”.
He said: “While Israel is prepared to make generous compromises for peace, it cannot go back to the 1967 lines because these lines are indefensible.
“They do not take into account certain demographic changes on the ground that have taken place over the last 44 years.”
But Mr Netanyahu insisted he valued Mr Obama’s efforts, saying: “Israel wants peace, I want peace.”
He vowed to work with Mr Obama, saying: “History will not give the Jewish people another chance.”
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Obama admits Israel ‘differences’