President Obama met with his close ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the White House on Monday. Obama said he assured Netanyahu of his “absolute commitment” to preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and also urged him to embrace a U.S.-brokered peace process with the Palestinians. Netanyahu took a firm stance.

President Benjamin Netanyahu: “The only peace that will endure is a peace that we can defend. And we’ve learned from our history, Jewish history, but I think from general history, that the best way to guarantee peace is to be strong. And that’s what the people of Israel expect me to do, to stand strong against criticism, against pressure, stand strong to secure the future of the one and only Jewish state.”