VIDEO: Obama and Rivlin celebrate Chanukah in The White House

US President Barack Obama welcomed his Israeli counterpart, President Reuven Rivlin for a Chanukah reception at The White House for the fourth night of the festival.

Ahead of their performance at Chanukah in the Square on Thursday night, Obama welcomed the Maccabeats.

President Obama said the meeting was an “opportunity to reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our two countries and our two peoples.”

We consider our commitment to Israel’s security to be one of the most important principles of American foreign policy.”

Obama continued, that during Rivlin’s visit “we’ll have an opportunity to discuss the challenges that Israel faces internally and the ways in which we can be helpful in tamping down tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.”

Commenting on the recent wave of terrorism in Israel, the US president said: I’ve been clear in condemning the violence that is recurring inside of Israel; the need for leaders like President Abbas to unequivocally condemn the violence that’s been taking place, the need to end incitement, but also the need for Israelis and Palestinians to find mechanisms in which to dialogue and arrive at peace.

President Rivlin thanked Obama, adding that “Israel has no greater friend than the United States of America..

We are very grateful to you about your declaration about the need to fight extremism, whatever and wherever it is.  

We have no war — we have no war with Islam.  We have war against those who are using ideas in order to create extremism and threats to the whole innocent people in the world.