U.S. Supports Israel’s Security, Obama Tells Jewish Leaders

(JTA) -- America opposes efforts to de-legitimize Israel, President Obama told a 50-member delegation of Jewish leaders during a White House meeting.

Obama met Tuesday with members of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

A statement issued by the White House called the one-hour discussion "productive." The statement said that Obama "reiterated America’s unshakeable support for Israel’s security, opposition to any effort to de-legitimize it or single it out for criticism, and commitment to achieve a peace that will secure the future for Arabs and Israelis alike."

Obama, according to the statement, "praised the core Jewish values of freedom and democracy, human rights, and tikkun olam (to repair the world)."

The president thanked the Jewish community leaders for their support "to ensure that America continues to out-educate, out-innovate, and out-build the competition in order to win the future."

The delegation also met with Dan Shapiro, senior director for the Middle East and North Africa at the National Security Council; Dennis Ross, special assistant to the President; and David S. Cohen, the Department of Treasury’s acting under secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, according to Haaretz.