Jewish state, but it also, I think, starts to erode the meaning of democracy in the country.”
The president’s comments were the latest evidence that the toxic relationship with Mr. Netanyahu, for years a source of frustration and anger for both men, has reached a new low, and that the White House is now engaged in a remarkably public feud with the Israeli prime minister.
Mr. Obama said the disagreements would not interfere with the military and intelligence cooperation between the United States and Israel. But he made clear that his administration was unhappy with the current policies under Mr. Netanyahu.
“While taking into complete account Israel’s security, we can’t just in perpetuity maintain the status quo, expand settlements — that’s not a recipe for stability in the region,” Mr. Obama said.
The break is unfolding as Mr. Obama presses for an international accord with Iran to rein in its nuclear program, talks that Mr. Netanyahu has denounced as a means of easing rather than blocking the path for Israel’s mortal enemy to acquire a nuclear weapon. Mr. Obama offered a measured assessment of the chances for reaching agreement.
“They have not yet made the kind of concessions that are, I think, going to be needed for a final deal to get done,” Mr. Obama said of the Iranians during the interview. “But they have moved, and so there’s the possibility.”
He said his objective was to strike a deal within “weeks, not months,” although he said it was “premature” to suggest there was a draft of an agreement.
Mr. Obama also said he would move “relatively soon” to issue new rules to raise the annual salary threshold below which employees who work more than 40 hours per week must be paid overtime wages. The requirement currently applies only to employees who earn $23,600 or less. The president would not reveal what the new limit would be.