US President Barack Obama and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated the strong bilateral ties between the two countries during a meeting in New York, the first between the two men since November 2015.

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the United Nations’ General Assembly, where Netanyahu was to deliver a speech. American officials said that the meeting lasted for 30 minutes, while Israeli sources said it continued considerably longer.

Obama called the ties between the two countries “unbreakable,” saying it is a relationship based on “common values, family ties” and “a guiding principle… that it is important for America’s national security to ensure that we have a safe and secure Israel, one that can defend itself”.

Referring to the violence of the past few days, which has seen a spate of Palestinian attacks on Israelis, Obama said: “our hearts go out to those who have been injured, both Israeli and Palestinian. Clearly, there is great danger of not just terrorism, but also flare-ups of violence.”

An American source said that during their closed doors encounter, Obama expressed his apprehension over the continued expansion of the settlement projects.

But Netanyahu replied that the settlements do not constitute the root of the conflict and suggested that building a closer relationship with other Arab entities might lead Israel to a stable peace with the Palestinians.

An official from Netanyahu's staff responded to Obama's concerns: "Are 20–30 settlements really at the heart of the conflict?," he rhetorically asked. "The real issue here is that they (the Palestinians) fill their children with poison and hate against us. We're not running from this problem, they're running from this problem. They need to recognize Israel and relinquish the Right of Return. If they don't want ISIS or Hamas to eat them alive, they're better off (with us). It won't take long before the international community will accept it."

In comments before the meeting, Netanyahu emphasised that “Israel has no greater friend than the United States of America, and America has no greater friend than Israel”. In particular, he highlighted the signing last week of a new ten-year military $38 billion aid package and “extensive security and intelligence cooperation”.

He added: “The greatest challenge is, of course, the unremitting fanaticism. The greatest opportunity is to advance a durable peace. That’s a goal that I and the people of Israel will never give up on.”