22.Maerz1

Obama at Jerusalem Convention Center

Obama calls on Israelis to be bold in seeking peace with Palestinians

President tells youngsters that responsibility for peace – which includes an independent Palestine – rests on their shoulders

President Barack Obama made a powerful and impassioned argument for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, telling an audience of young Israelis that their generation bore responsibility for securing a secure, stable and democratic future for the conflict-ridden land.

In what was billed as the most important public speech ever made by an American leader on the issue, Obama delivered a tough message to Israel, saying hard choices had to be faced and risks must be taken.

"You can be the generation that permanently secures the Zionist dream, or you can face growing challenges to its future … The only way for Israel to endure and thrive as a Jewish and democratic state is through the realisation of an independent and viable Palestine," he said.

And in a deliberate appeal to Israeli citizens over the head of their pro-settlement, compromise-averse government, he told the mainly-student audience: "Speaking as a politician, I can promise you this: political leaders will not take risks if the people do not demand that they do. You must create the change that you want to see."

His unequivocal message was strong on vision but short on detail of how a deal, which has eluded the region for more than six decades, could be reached. But the emotional call for peace laid the ground for months – or years – of grinding but necessary diplomacy which secretary of state John Kerry will begin after Obama's departure from Jerusalem on Friday.

The first half of the carefully crafted 50-minute speech was devoted to reassuring Israel that its security needs were paramount and paying tribute to the history of the Jewish people "through countless generations". Obama repeatedly reasserted the "unbreakable bonds of friendship" between Israel and the United States. "I want to tell you – particularly the young people – that so long as there is a United States of America, Ah-tem lo lah-vahd [You're not alone]."

But, he went on, "the only way to truly protect the Israeli people is through the absence of war – because no wall is high enough, and no Iron Dome is strong enough, to stop every enemy from inflicting harm".

Peace was necessary, just and possible, he said. And in a direct contradiction of the oft-stated view of the Israeli leadership, he asserted: "you do have a true partner" in Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and prime minister Salam Fayyad.

Criticising hardliners on both sides, he said: "There will always be extremists who provide an excuse to not act. And there is something exhausting about endless talks about talks, the daily controversies and grinding status quo."

Negotiations were necessary, but "there is little secret about where they must lead … two states for two peoples. There will be differences about how to get there, and hard choices along the way."

Palestinians, he said, "must recognise that Israel will be a Jewish state, and that Israelis have the right to insist upon their security. Israelis must recognise that continued settlement activity is counterproductive to the cause of peace, and that an independent Palestine must be viable … that real borders will have to be drawn."

The president acknowledged that not everyone in the hall or beyond would agree with his message, and that scepticism on both sides abounded.

But in a direct appeal to a young generation, he said: "Your voices must be louder than the extremists who would drown them out. Your hopes must light the way forward. Look to a future in which Jews, Muslims and Christians can all live in peace and greater prosperity in this Holy Land. Look to the future that you want for your own children – a future in which a Jewish, democratic state is protected and accepted, for this time and for all time."

He went on: "There will be many voices that say this change is not possible. But remember this: Israel is the most powerful country in this region. Israel has the unshakeable support of the most powerful country in the world. Israel has the wisdom to see the world as it is, but also the courage to see the world as it should be." Quoting Israel's first prime minister, David Ben Gurion, he said: "'In Israel, in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles.' Sometimes, the greatest miracle is recognising that the world can change."

Although the core of the speech focussed on the need for a peaceful resolution of the 65-year conflict, Obama was careful to address Israel's principal concerns in the region. He attacked the Jewish state's key enemies of Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, echoing Binyamin Netanyahu's assertions that the Iranian nuclear programme posed an existential threat to Israel.

Pledging that America would do what it must to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, he said: "When I consider Israel's security, I also think about a people who have a living memory of the Holocaust, faced with the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iranian government that has called for Israel's destruction. It's no wonder Israelis view this as an existential threat. But this is not simply a challenge for Israel … it is a danger for the entire world, including the United States."

The audience, energised by an early heckler who was swiftly ejected from the hall at Jerusalem's International Convention Centre, received Obama's message with cheers, applause, whistles and several standing ovations.

Outside the hall, Hagar Shilo, 23, a student at Tel Aviv university, said she was inspired by the president's words. "We loved it. He did his homework, he knew our culture, he made me feel more secure." But, she added, "some of us think we have a partner [for peace], some of us don't. We can't control the militants in Gaza." At least two rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel on Thursday for the first time since the end of the eight-day war in November.

Michal Sever, 16, also from Tel Aviv, said: "It was very touching that he sees us, he stands for us, and he says we're not alone. But he also focussed responsibility on our generation."

Earlier, at a joint press conference with Obama in Ramallah, the Palestinian president reiterated that a halt to settlement expansion was the key to progress towards a two-state solution. But, he added, he had a "renewed confidence that the United States … will help remove obstacles to achieving a just peace".

There was no immediate official reaction from either side to Obama's address. But one Israeli government official told the Guardian: "It was a very good speech. Obama is right: peace is necessary, just and possible. The question is, how do we implement this? There is only one answer – negotiations that require incredibly difficult compromises on both sides. But first we have to bring the Palestinians back to the negotiating table."

Danny Dayan, the former leaders of the Settlers' Council, said Obama was "less naive than four years ago, but on the core issues he's still naive. The president portrayed a utopia – peace, security, a bright future for children. The problem is that he didn't give a shred of a hint of how to achieve this.

"The two-state paradigm is a mirage. It's very tempting, but when you approach it, it's revealed to be no more than hot air, an optical illusion. The so-called two-state solution is unachievable."