May 17 (Bloomberg) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed in Washington ahead of a meeting with President Barack Obama as aides minimized speculation that their differences over Middle East peacekeeping would cause conflict.

Netanyahu will spell out his reservations to Palestinian statehood during talks at the White House and also focus on how they can cooperate to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons, the prime minister’s national security adviser, Uzi Arad, told reporters today in Washington.

“We are confident that a sense of pragmatism and the desire for progress will drive the discussion and what will decide the issue are the practicalities of the matter and not the rhetoric,” Arad said about peace efforts with the Palestinians.

Obama, 47, is calling for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while Netanyahu remains skeptical. The White House meeting will be the first time that Netanyahu and Obama have met since both of them took office this year.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters last week that tomorrow’s meeting won’t be “as contentious” as some expect.

On the flight from Israel, Netanyahu declined to say anything about what might develop when he meets Obama, though he and his wife Sara walked around the entire cabin to shake hands with reporters, aides and security agents.

‘Sense of Urgency’

Arad spoke at a hastily organized press briefing conducted at Blair House, the U.S. guest house for visiting heads of state, after officials initially refused to answer questions about what Netanyahu, 59, expects when he meets Obama.

“Iran is making progress all the time towards nuclear capability and the aim of both countries to block Iran from achieving that capability will definitely figure at the heart of the talks,” Arad said. “There is a sense of urgency on our side. The prime minister will emphatically emphasize the element of urgency.”

Palestinian leaders say Obama must put pressure on Netanyahu to halt settlement expansion in the West Bank and accept the principle that peace talks be aimed at setting up a Palestinian state. They are also pushing to expand the talks so that a peace agreement with Israel includes all Arab countries, a position Israeli President Shimon Peres endorsed today.

Peres, who spoke at the closing session of the World Economic Forum in Jordan, said that the “time has come to make peace on a regional level.”

‘Relationship of Trust’

Peace negotiations between Israel and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas were halted after the start of a 22-day Israeli offensive against the Islamic Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip that ended on Jan. 18. Netanyahu has replaced Ehud Olmert, who supported Palestinian statehood, as Israeli prime minister.

Obama and Netanyahu will also discuss the possibility of renewing peace talks with Syria, aides said.

“Neither the U.S. nor Israel is looking to pick fights with each other, but for the meeting to be judged a success, Obama and Netanyahu must show they’re building a relationship of trust and converging interests,” David Makovsky, co-author of the forthcoming book, “Myths, Illusions and Peace: Finding a New Direction for America in the Middle East,” said in an e- mail.

Iran’s Nuclear Program

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said yesterday that Israel and the U.S. are working together to halt Iran’s nuclear program. Both countries, he said, are trying to enlist international support for tighter sanctions against Iran.

“I think we will not take action in Iran without coordinating with the U.S. and we expect the U.S. to coordinate with us,” he said during an appearance in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba, according to a transcript e-mailed by his office. “If the world would just work together with determination and impose sanctions, then we may not need military action,” he said.

Netanyahu’s White House visit comes a week before Obama hosts Abbas and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to discuss Middle East peace efforts. Jordan’s King Abdullah II was in Washington in April to meet Obama.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan Ferziger in Washington at jferziger@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: May 17, 2009 14:37 EDT