WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bluntly told President Barack Obama on Friday his vision of how to achieve Middle East peace was unrealistic, exposing a deep divide that could doom any U.S. bid to revive peace talks.

In an unusually sharp rebuke to Israel’s closest ally, Netanyahu insisted Israel would never pull back to its 1967 borders — which would mean big concessions of occupied land — that Obama had said should be the basis for negotiations on creating a Palestinian state.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday bluntly rejected President Barack Obama’s vision for the borders of a future Palestinian state, opening up one of the deepest divides in years between Washington and the Jewish state.

In an unusually sharp rebuke to Israel’s closest ally, Netanyahu told Obama his endorsement of a long-standing Palestinian demand to go back to Israel’s 1967 boundaries — meaning big concessions of occupied land — would leave Israel “indefensible.”

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday as a new U.S. push for Middle East peace opened one of the deepest divides in years in relations between the United States and close ally Israel.

Netanyahu arrived at the White House a day after Obama endorsed a long-standing Palestinian demand on the borders of its future state, drawing an angry response from Israel that he was out of the touch with the reality of the long-running conflict.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Israel said the United States “does not understand reality” as its leader arrived in Washington on Friday after President Barack Obama endorsed a longstanding Palestinian demand on borders of a future state.

In a policy speech on the eve of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit, Obama laid down his clearest markers yet on the compromises he believes Israel and the Palestinians must make to resolve the decades-old conflict.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Israel said the United States “does not understand reality” as its leader arrived in Washington on Friday after President Barack Obama endorsed a longstanding Palestinian demand on borders of a future state.

In a policy speech on the eve of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit, Obama laid down his clearest markers yet on the compromises he believes Israel and the Palestinians must make to resolve the decades-old conflict.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Israel said the United States “does not understand reality” as its leader arrived in Washington on Friday after President Barack Obama endorsed a longstanding Palestinian demand on borders of a future state.

In a policy speech on the eve of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit, Obama laid down his clearest markers yet on the compromises he believes Israel and the Palestinians must make to resolve the decades-old conflict.

TEL AVIV (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu headed for talks in Washington on Friday saying that U.S. President Barack Obama’s vision of a Palestinian state on the borders of 1967 could leave Israel “indefensible.”

“The viability of a Palestinian state cannot come at the expense of Israel’s existence,” he said in a statement before flying to the United States for scheduled talks with Obama.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu goes to Washington on Friday to rally opposition to a Palestinian bid for U.N. recognition of statehood.

There is little indication the right-wing leader will, or can, offer new peacemaking ideas to persuade Palestinians not to take a detour at the U.N. General Assembly in September around the brick wall that the U.S. peace efforts have run into.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday a Palestinian unity government that includes Hamas Islamists could not be Israel’s peace partner.

But in what could be a departure from long-held positions, the right-wing Israeli leader appeared to hold out the prospect of future territorial compromise if his peace terms — which have drawn Palestinian rejection in the past — are met.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday a Palestinian unity government that includes Hamas Islamists could not be Israel’s peace partner.

But in what could be a departure from long-held positions, the right-wing Israeli leader appeared to hold out the prospect of future territorial compromise if his peace terms — which have drawn Palestinian rejection in the past — are met.