Zionist President Shimon Perez reiterated his “appreciation” to American President Barack Obama, saying the latter was a friend to Israel.

Zionist President Shimon Perez reiterated his “appreciation” to American President Barack Obama, saying the latter was a friend to Israel.

"We all read the newspapers and I want to take advantage of this opportunity to express my appreciation to President Obama and say in a clear voice - President Obama is a friend of the Jewish people and the state of Israel and there is no doubt in this matter”, Peres said.

The Israeli President’s remarks were on Wednesday at a ceremony in which he accepted the credentials of the new U.S. ambassador to Israel, Dan Shapiro.

"President Obama represents the tradition of deep friendship between Israel and the United States, not only in words but in actions and he has emphasized that Israel's security is a top priority of the American government - and he has acted thusly", Peres said further.

On the other hand, Peres said that the recognition of a Palestinian statehood would be a “mistake”.
As Peres and Shapiro discussed diplomatic matters, including the Palestinian effort to attain recognition of statehood at the United Nations in September, the Israeli president said: “An empty statement will produce only an illusion, cause damages to both sides and won't provide an answer to the basic issues standing before us, including terrorism, weapons smuggling and Iran's attempts to develop a nuclear bomb”.