Two days after his re-election, Netanyahu, however, said that he was still up for the two-state solution but did not see it happening anytime soon. Although this was an attempt on his part to mitigate the damage caused by his far-right rhetoric, it can hardly be seen as a change from his previous statements.

The Israeli leader has always cited his country's security concerns to justify his hard-line policies toward the Palestinians. But he should realize that those policies have only deepened the animosity between the two sides and sparked retaliatory moves from some radical Palestinian groups.

Confrontation is not the solution to a long-standing conflict like the one between the Israelis and Palestinians. It has not made Israelis feel safer either. If Netanyahu refuses to change his far-right stance during his fourth term as prime minister, violence between the two sides is bound to escalate, worsening the security environment across the Middle East.

Since the Middle East continues to be mired in violence, especially because of the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the four-year-old Syrian civil war, another civil war brewing in Yemen and the Iranian nuclear standoff, it cannot afford to see an escalation in Israeli-Palestinian tension, let alone a full-blown conflict between the two sides.

As a country wielding unparallel influence on Israel, the US should continue pushing its closest ally in the region back to the negotiation table with the Palestinians. Obama told the UN General Assembly 18 months ago that he would seek real breakthroughs on both Iran's nuclear program and Israeli-Palestinian peace. It is high time he matched his words with deeds.

The author is senior writer with China Daily. wanghui@chinadaily.com.cn