Netanyahu disputes Obama’s claim that Israel took land during its founding

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a video rebuttal after Barack Obama said Israel “took land off people” during its founding. In its account, Belaaz reported that Netanyahu rejected the description, saying Jewish people are not foreign occupiers in the land of their forefathers and that Jewish history is not a colonial enterprise. Obama made his remarks in Northern Ireland while receiving an honorary doctorate from Queen’s University Belfast, Belaaz reported. Asked about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Obama said the violence should pain everyone. He also argued that Israeli positions had hardened since October 7 and called for a genuine pause before discussion of a long-term solution. Netanyahu offered a different account of what obstructs a settlement. He said Israel’s enemies reject the existence of a Jewish state within any borders. He connected that position to chants of “Death to Israel” and “Death to America,” and said those opponents refer to Israel as the “Little Satan” and the United States as the “Great Satan.”

Netanyahu also presented Israel as defending values shared with the United States. That claim and his account of the opposition to a Jewish state were part of his rebuttal; Belaaz’s article does not provide a response from the people or groups Netanyahu described as Israel’s enemies. The remarks place two competing arguments in focus: Obama’s claim about land taken during Israel’s founding, and Netanyahu’s assertion that Jewish people have a historical connection to the land and are not foreign occupiers. The article does not detail the land claim or identify specific territory, and it provides no further exchange between the two men. The Times of Israel’s headline also quotes Netanyahu as saying, “This is our homeland,” and that Israel would not gamble with its survival. Yahoo and The Jerusalem Post use the same “This is our homeland” wording in their headlines, while waradana.com characterizes Obama’s remarks as criticism of Israeli policies and quotes Netanyahu saying the land is not stolen. Those headlines establish the outlets’ framing, but do not add details about the video or the setting of Obama’s remarks. The immediate next point raised in Belaaz’s account is whether a pause can precede discussion of a long-term solution, as Obama argued. Netanyahu’s stated position instead centers on Israel’s claim to the land and his contention that Israel’s enemies reject a Jewish state in any borders. The article records these positions but does not say that either man announced a follow-up meeting or decision.