Netanyahu said he would work for a lasting peace with the Palestinians, promising "great concessions" as long as they don't compromise Israel's security.

"With the support of the United States, peace can become a reality," Netanyahu said before his scheduled meeting with Obama to discuss the peace process and Iran's nuclear program.

After the meeting, the White House issued a statement that said the two leaders "discussed a number of issues in the US-Israel bilateral relationship."

It said Obama reaffirmed the United States' "strong commitment to Israel's security," and that the two leaders "discussed security cooperation on a range of issues."

They also talked over how to move forward on the stalled Middle East peace process and Iran, the White House said.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has just returned from the Middle East, where she failed to persuade Abbas to resume talks with Israel until it agrees to a freeze of settlement construction

Clinton angered Palestinians and Arabs when she praised Israel's agreement to limit settlement-building as "unprecedented." She later clarified that the United States "does not accept the legitimacy" of building Israeli housing on occupied Palestinian land.

In his remarks, Netanyahu pledged more steps to improve economic conditions in Palestinian areas but made no new proposals on curbing settlement construction.

Netanyahu also was expected to discuss with Obama a United Nations report that accuses Israel and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, of committing possible war crimes during an Israeli offensive this year.