The White House sent a stern message on Monday to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with President Obama's chief of staff declaring that Tel Aviv 'must end' a 47-year policy of holding contested territory that Palestinians claim as their own. 'An occupation that has lasted for almost than 50 years must end,' Denis McDonough told an annual convention of 'J Street,' a left-wing Jewish advocacy group, in Washington, D.C. Obama himself did not attend, but sent McDonough to read a speech in his stead while he attended a science fair for schoolchildren at the White House and gave brief remarks to an investment summit. 'An occupation that has lasted for almost 50 years must end,' said McDonough, his eyes often glued to his paper. 'And the Palestinian people must have the right to live in and govern themselves in their own sovereign state.' 'Palestinian children deserve the same right to be free in their own land as Israeli children in their land,' he declared later to applause. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Obama Chief of Staff Denis McDonough spoke at the annual meeting of J Street, a liberal Jewish group, insisting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu withdraw his objection to Palestinian statehood . MISSED THE DEADLINE: J Street's printed program left open the possibility that President Obama might have delivered the speech, but he had declined to address the more conservative AIPAC group three weeks ago . MIXED SIGNALS: The White House has excoriated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netnyahu and negotiated a nuclear deal with Iran while simultaneously insisting it's a strong ally to Tel Aviv . The printed program said only that a 'US administration speaker' would address the crowd. Had the president delivered the message himself, comparisons would have instantly been made to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, J Street's conservative counterpart, which Obama snubbed during the week when Netanyahu was in the U.S. to deliver a speech to Congress. But Obama managed to be elsewhere, leaving McDonough to walk on stage to the sound of The Who's 'Teenage Wasteland' – whose fourth stanza opens with, 'The Exodus is here / The happy ones are near.' He immediately grabbed the liberal crowd's attention with news that the president 'has appointed more women, minorities, and openly gay judges' than any other Oval Office occupant. But it was mention of a 'two-state solution' to the decades-old Arab-Israeli conflict that brought the disproportionately young crowd, seeded wth raucous college students, to its feet. 'President Obama asked me to convey his deep appreciation to all of you for your partnership and your work on behalf of the U.S.-Israel relationship,' McDonough said near the beginning of his speech. 'especially building support for our efforts to advance a two-state solution.' Netanyahu, now poised for another four years as prime ministrer, pledged before last week's Israeli elections that with his Likud Party in power, he would refuse to allow the Palestinian Authority to graduate to full statehood. He qualified that promise after his come-from-behind victory on Election Day, saying conditions on the ground would have to change before he would consider approving a Palestinian state. The PA, he said, would have to break with Hamas and other terror groups, and stop firing rockets into Israel. The White House focused Monday on Netanyahu's pre-election vow, saying that 'we cannot simply pretend that these comments were never made.' The Obama administration, like others before it, supports the idea of Israeli and Palestinian states coexisting on adjacent lands. But unlike past presidents, Obama's testy relationship with his Israeli counterpart has brought him to the verge of taking action. BUSY, BUSY, BUSY: President Barack Obama sent his chief of staff to deliver an ultimatum to Israel while he presided over a science fair in the East Room at the White House . ENTHUSIASTIC: Liberal Jews, led by college students on Spring Break, erupted into applause at the mention of a two-state solution . TENSIONS: Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas (right) argues – and J Street agrees – that Israel is encroaching on his people's lands with settlements (left) built by Netanyahu's government . The U.S. has for decades used its permanent-member veto on the United Nations Security Council to block resolutions demanding Palestinian statehood. That, White House officials signaled las tweek, could soon change. McDOnough followed his saber-rattling in Netanyahu's direction with a calmer assurance that 'no matter who leads Israel, America’s commitment to Israeli national security will never waver.' That was meant to be a salve for Jews who fear a nuclear-armed Iran less than 1,000 miles away, an outcome the White House says it's trying to avoid with secret negotiations conducted in Switzerland. The U.S., McDonough said, 'will do everything in our power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.' 'The deal we are pursuing is both realistic and achievable,' he said of the bilateral talks, which Netanyahu and congressional Republicans in Washington have criticized as a tool of appeasement that's too soft on Tehran. 'A scenario where Iran forgoes domestic enrichment capacity for all time would surely be ideal, but it’s not grounded in reality,' McDonough declared. 'Not even our closest partners support denying Iran the ability to pursue peaceful nuclear energy forever, and Iran already knows how to enrich uranium.' 'We can’t turn back the clock on that,' he said.
President Obama didn't personally address the annual meeting of 'J Street,' Washington's most influential left-wing Jewish group .
He sent chief of staff instead to read a speech to thousands of activists while he attended a science fair and an investment summit .
Denis McDonough insisted the US will remain friendly to Israel .
But he slammed Bibi Netanyahu for saying before last week's election that there wouldn't be a Palestinian state while he was prime minister .
Hundreds of college students in the audience cheered at McDonough's mention of a 'two-state solution' to the Arab-Israeli conflict .
The White House sent a stern message on Monday to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with President Obama's chief of staff declaring that Tel Aviv 'must end' a 47-year policy of holding contested territory that Palestinians claim as their own. 'An occupation that has lasted for almost than 50 years must end,' Denis McDonough told an annual convention of 'J Street,' a left-wing Jewish advocacy group, in Washington, D.C. Obama himself did not attend, but sent McDonough to read a speech in his stead while he attended a science fair for schoolchildren at the White House and gave brief remarks to an investment summit. 'An occupation that has lasted for almost 50 years must end,' said McDonough, his eyes often glued to his paper. 'And the Palestinian people must have the right to live in and govern themselves in their own sovereign state.' 'Palestinian children deserve the same right to be free in their own land as Israeli children in their land,' he declared later to applause. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Obama Chief of Staff Denis McDonough spoke at the annual meeting of J Street, a liberal Jewish group, insisting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu withdraw his objection to Palestinian statehood . MISSED THE DEADLINE: J Street's printed program left open the possibility that President Obama might have delivered the speech, but he had declined to address the more conservative AIPAC group three weeks ago . MIXED SIGNALS: The White House has excoriated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netnyahu and negotiated a nuclear deal with Iran while simultaneously insisting it's a strong ally to Tel Aviv . The printed program said only that a 'US administration speaker' would address the crowd. Had the president delivered the message himself, comparisons would have instantly been made to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, J Street's conservative counterpart, which Obama snubbed during the week when Netanyahu was in the U.S. to deliver a speech to Congress. But Obama managed to be elsewhere, leaving McDonough to walk on stage to the sound of The Who's 'Teenage Wasteland' – whose fourth stanza opens with, 'The Exodus is here / The happy ones are near.' He immediately grabbed the liberal crowd's attention with news that the president 'has appointed more women, minorities, and openly gay judges' than any other Oval Office occupant. But it was mention of a 'two-state solution' to the decades-old Arab-Israeli conflict that brought the disproportionately young crowd, seeded wth raucous college students, to its feet. 'President Obama asked me to convey his deep appreciation to all of you for your partnership and your work on behalf of the U.S.-Israel relationship,' McDonough said near the beginning of his speech. 'especially building support for our efforts to advance a two-state solution.' Netanyahu, now poised for another four years as prime ministrer, pledged before last week's Israeli elections that with his Likud Party in power, he would refuse to allow the Palestinian Authority to graduate to full statehood. He qualified that promise after his come-from-behind victory on Election Day, saying conditions on the ground would have to change before he would consider approving a Palestinian state. The PA, he said, would have to break with Hamas and other terror groups, and stop firing rockets into Israel. The White House focused Monday on Netanyahu's pre-election vow, saying that 'we cannot simply pretend that these comments were never made.' The Obama administration, like others before it, supports the idea of Israeli and Palestinian states coexisting on adjacent lands. But unlike past presidents, Obama's testy relationship with his Israeli counterpart has brought him to the verge of taking action. BUSY, BUSY, BUSY: President Barack Obama sent his chief of staff to deliver an ultimatum to Israel while he presided over a science fair in the East Room at the White House . ENTHUSIASTIC: Liberal Jews, led by college students on Spring Break, erupted into applause at the mention of a two-state solution . TENSIONS: Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas (right) argues – and J Street agrees – that Israel is encroaching on his people's lands with settlements (left) built by Netanyahu's government . The U.S. has for decades used its permanent-member veto on the United Nations Security Council to block resolutions demanding Palestinian statehood. That, White House officials signaled las tweek, could soon change. McDOnough followed his saber-rattling in Netanyahu's direction with a calmer assurance that 'no matter who leads Israel, America’s commitment to Israeli national security will never waver.' That was meant to be a salve for Jews who fear a nuclear-armed Iran less than 1,000 miles away, an outcome the White House says it's trying to avoid with secret negotiations conducted in Switzerland. The U.S., McDonough said, 'will do everything in our power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.' 'The deal we are pursuing is both realistic and achievable,' he said of the bilateral talks, which Netanyahu and congressional Republicans in Washington have criticized as a tool of appeasement that's too soft on Tehran. 'A scenario where Iran forgoes domestic enrichment capacity for all time would surely be ideal, but it’s not grounded in reality,' McDonough declared. 'Not even our closest partners support denying Iran the ability to pursue peaceful nuclear energy forever, and Iran already knows how to enrich uranium.' 'We can’t turn back the clock on that,' he said.
left-wing Jewish advocacy group, in Washington, McDonough to read a speech in his stead while he attended a science fair for schoolchildren at the Staff Denis McDonough spoke at the annual meeting of J Street, a liberal Jewish group, insisting when Netanyahu was in the U.S. to deliver a speech to Congress. But Obama managed to be 'two-state solution' to the decades-old Arab-Israeli conflict that brought the raucous college students, to its feet. 'President pledged before last week's Israeli elections that Barack Obama sent his chief of staff to deliver an ultimatum to Israel while he presided over a at the mention of a two-state solution .