Family Life

03.09.10 | FL News Team

Vice President Joe Biden told Israelis today that the resumption of peace talks with Palestinians is a "moment of real opportunity" to resolve the decades-old conflict. Biden, who met earlier in the day with Israeli President Shimon Peres, is in the Middle East with special envoy George Mitchell in an effort to rekindle talks that have been stalled since December 2008. Biden pledged continued U.S. commitment for the security of Israel, saying there is no gap between the two countries over the security of the Jewish state. Biden added that if both sides stepped back and took a deep breath, they would discover that they are more in agreement than in opposition to each other.

 Biden is expected to inform Israeli officials that the Obama administration does not support an Israeli military strike against Iran over its controversial nuclear program, and wants to continue applying pressure by harsh sanctions. Biden said that since his administration took office, Iran has become internally and externally isolated. In response, Peres called upon the U.S. to "surround Iran with an envelope" to assure Israel's safety from Iranian missiles and a possible nuclear threat.