President Barack Obama has delivered an impassioned appeal for Israel to recognise that compromise will be necessary to achieve its lasting security.
He also said it must take steps to reverse an “undertow” of international isolation that is worsened by its failure to make peace with the Palestinians.
Militants underscored Israel’s vulnerability again by firing rockets into a southern border town.
Reminding an audience of Israeli university students that the United States is their country’s best friend and most important ally, Mr Obama said the US will never back down on its commitment to Israel’s defence.
“As long as there is a United States of America, you are not alone,” he told a packed audience at Jerusalem’s convention centre.
“Given the frustration in the international community, Israel must reverse an undertow of isolation.
“Just as Israelis built a state in their homeland, Palestinians have a right to be a free people in their own land.
“The Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and their justice must also be recognised.”
