U.S. to 'Reassess' Relationship with Israel After Netanyahu's Palestine Comments

U.S. President Barack Obama said this week that the U.S. will be "reassessing" its relationship with Israel after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the formation of a Palestinian state in the days leading up to the election.

A White House official told CNN that the president called Netanyahu to wish the politician victory on the most recent election, but also issued a warning regarding Netanyahu's comments on Palestine.

"The President told the Prime Minister that we will need to re-assess our options following the Prime Minister's new positions and comments regarding the two state solution," the White House official said.

The Obama administration also released a statement reiterating the United States' "long-standing commitment to a two-state solution."

Before this week's Israeli elections, Netanyahu appeared to be going against a campaign promise he made in 2008 for a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel. The prime minister said in the days leading up to the election that it would be impossible to establish a two-state solution with the current unrest existing in Palestine.

The prime minister's comments caused backlash from the White House, and Netanyahu said in an interview with MSNBC this week that he hasn't changed his goal of achieving a two-state solution.

"I haven't changed my policy," he told MSNBC this week. "I never retracted my speech."

"I don't want a one-state solution, I want a sustainable, peaceful two-state solution, but for that circumstances have to change," Netanyahu said. "And every territory that is vacated in the Middle East is taken up by Islamist forces."