Biden: Don’t overstate US, Israel tensions

Vice President Joe Biden on Saturday warned against reading too much into the differences between the U.S. and Israeli governments.

{mosads}President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel have clashed at times in recent years, over both how to deal with Iran and the broader prospects for peace in the Middle East.

But Biden, speaking at a Brookings Institution forum on U.S.-Israeli relations, said the debates happening between the two governments echo the discussions that regular Israelis and Americans have about how ensuring Israel’s security.

“Let’s not make more of normal disagreements that occur between friends than warrants,” said Biden, who joked about how little he agrees with Netanyahu, but still called the Israeli prime minister a good friend.

“There is absolutely no daylight between us on the question of Israel’s security,” he added. “But as friends, we have an obligation to speak honestly.”

With that in mind, Biden firmly pushed back against critics – including senior Israeli officials – who call the Obama administration’s recently extended talks with Tehran a mistake.

Netanyahu has warned against a deal over Iran’s nuclear capabilities, and Republicans on Capitol Hill continue to call for stronger sanctions against Iran.

But Biden said now was not the time for harsher sanctions, even as he acknowledged that there’s “less than an even shot” to reach a deal with Iran.

Still, the vice president, who is mulling a presidential run, insisted that revving up sanctions now would reduce the leverage that the U.S. has in talks with Tehran, and perhaps undo some of the progress that’s already been made.

“This is not the time to risk a breakdown when we have a chance for a breakthrough,” said Biden, who insisted Obama would never allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.

The vice president also said that he was encouraged that Israel and some of its Arab neighbors, like Jordan, are generally on the same page when it comes to two big issues – Iran and the rise of Islamic militants in Syria.

Still, Biden was upfront about the challenges in finding a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. He acknowledged that Hamas would be difficult to negotiate with, but also insisted that Israel’s settlement activity also exacerbated tensions.