(AFP) — The White House dismissed the idea Friday that US President Barack Obama's talks with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next week will be contentious, despite differences between the allies.The two leaders will hold their first meeting in their respective leadership roles here on Monday, amid signs of divisions on key issues like a Palestinian state, how to deal with Iran and settlement expansion on the West Bank.
"The President has met with him before, I think they have a good relationship," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said."I don't expect that the meeting will be quite as contentious as you might suggest," Gibbs said.Pressed on differing approaches between Netanyahu's mainly right-wing government and the Obama administration, Gibbs said Washington's ties with any number of nations contained differences of emphasis."My sense is that probably, that that's probably a common strain in any number of our relationships.""This, I think, again, is going to be a long process."
