With the world watching, President Barack Obama today took an apparent swipe at Donald Trump's plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, in his eighth and final address to the United Nations General Assembly as commander in chief. 
 
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 "Today a nation ringed by walls would only imprison itself," Obama warned, without naming the Republican presidential nominee. 
 
 Obama further cautioning against "the same forces of global integration" that have made democracies interdependent while exposing "deep fault lines in the existing international order" like gaps between the rich and poor created by capitalism throughout the world. 
 
 He made two other references to the ineffectiveness of walls in stopping global forces, quipping in an apparent reference to the Zika virus that "mosquitoes don't respect walls" and saying of terrorism that "the world is simply too small to be able to build a wall and stop it from affecting our own societies." 
 
 Though he never directly addressed the U.S. presidential election, Obama's message for the General Assembly was in many ways applicable to the impulses raging in the race, citing "a contest between authoritarianism and democracy right now" and an appeal for a top-down "strongman model." 
 
 Obama rejected such tendencies. "History shows that strongmen are then left with two paths," he said. "Permanent crackdown, which sparks strife at home, or scapegoating enemies abroad, which can lead to war." 
 
 Speaking about the big picture, the Obama recounted the progress made during his presidency, on issues such as the global financial crisis, international terrorism and re-establishing relations with Cuba. 
 
 "This is important work," he stressed. "It has made a real difference in the lives of our people, and it could not have happened had we not worked together." 
 
 Obama said nations "can choose to press forward with a better model of cooperation and integration" or "retreat into a world sharply divided and ultimately in conflict along age-old lines of nation and tribe and race and religion." 
 
 "I want to suggest to you today that we must go forward and not backward," he said, although he added that doing so would require nations of the world to "acknowledge that the existing path to global integration requires a course correction." 
 
 "The answer cannot be a simple rejection of global integration," Obama said. "Instead, we must work together to make sure the benefits of such integration are broadly shared and that the disruptions — economic, political and cultural — that are caused by integration are squarely addressed." 
 
 
 
 Obama demanded that democracies of the world "speak out forcefully" for "freedom and dignity." 
 
 "A world in which 1 percent of the economy controls the other 99 percent will never be stable," he said. "These are the policies I've pursued in the United States, and with clear results" — touting progress in job creation, cutting poverty, improving infrastructure and investing in childhood education. 
 
 His speech came as fighting in Syria has resumed after the Syrian military declared Monday an end to the fragile cease-fire deal that was brokered between the U.S. and Russia just over a week ago. 
 
 "Together now we have to open our hearts and do more to help refugees who are desperate for a home. We should all welcome the pledges of increased assistance that have been made at this General Assembly gathering," Obama said. "There's a lot of nations right now that are doing the right thing, but many nations — particularly those blessed with wealth and the benefits of geography — that can do more to offer a hand." 
 
 In the same month that North Korea conducted its second nuclear test of the year, Obama highlighted the benefits of free markets over markets resisting influence from globalization. 
 
 "We cannot unwind integration any more than we can stuff technology back into a box, nor can we look to failed models of the past. If we start resorting to trade wars, market distorting subsidies, overreliance on national resources instead of innovation, these approaches will make us poor collectively, and they're more likely to lead to conflict," he said. 
 
 "And the stark contrast between, say, the success of the Republic of Korea and the wasteland of North Korea shows that central plan to control the economy is a dead end," Obama said. ||||| Obama warns against strongman governments 
 
 Making his case against nationalistic and anti-immigration movements that have grown both in the U.S. and around the globe, President Barack Obama told the United Nations general assembly Tuesday that “today, a nation ringed by walls would only imprison itself.” 
 
 Obama’s remark appeared to be an allusion to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has campaigned hard against the president’s record and has pledged to build a wall along America’s southern border with Mexico. In his final address as president before the United Nations general assembly, Obama was critical of the isolationist movement that Trump has championed in the U.S. and others have pushed abroad. 
 
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 “As these real problems have been neglected, alternative visions of the world have pressed forward, both in the wealthiest countries and in the poorest,” Obama said after discussing economic inequality and other international issues. “Religious fundamentalism, the politics of ethnicity or tribe or sect, aggressive nationalism, a crude populism, sometimes from the far left but more often from the far right, which seeks to restore what they believe was a better, simpler age free of outside contamination. We cannot dismiss these visions. They are powerful. They reflect dissatisfaction among too many of our citizens. ” 
 
 “Today, a nation ringed by walls would only imprison itself,” the president continued. “So the answer cannot be a simple rejection of global integration. Instead, we must work together to make sure the benefits of such integration are broadly shared.” 
 
 The president led his speech with a celebration of global accomplishments to which the U.S. has been party during his administration, listing the reduction of terrorists’ safe havens, the landmark nuclear agreement with Iran and the resumption of diplomatic relations with Cuba as successes. 
 
 But Obama also listed global problems like the flow of refugees, continued financial disruptions, and a lack of basic order and security in the Middle East. The president urged the international community “that we must go forwards and not backwards,” offering a defense of Western values as the best path forward for global growth and success. 
 
 “I believe that as imperfect as they are, the principles of open markets and accountable governance, of democracy and human rights and international law that we have forged remain the firmest foundation for human progress in this century,” Obama said. “I make this argument not based on theory or ideology but on facts.” 
 
 In making that case, Obama warned against strongman governments and oppressive tactics like media suppression. He said such strategies are stifling for economies hungry for information and ultimately lead to further crackdowns or the scapegoating of foreign enemies that can lead to war. 
 
 Speaking specifically of the Middle East, Obama called for the recognition of a “common humanity” that would serve as a stepping stone toward resolving the various conflicts in the region. Again attacking isolationism, Obama said the rest of the world cannot turn its back on conflict in the Middle East in the hope that violence will be contained to the region. 
 
 “Until basic questions are answered about how communities coexist, the embers of extremism will continue to burn, countless human beings will suffer, most of all in that region, but extremism will continue to be exported overseas,” he said. “And the world is too small for us to simply be able to build a wall and prevent it from affecting our own societies.” ||||| President Obama strongly defended a globalized, interconnected world in his final speech at the United Nations on Tuesday, arguing that open markets, capitalism and democracy should remain the guiding forces of the international order. 
 
 Obama slammed what he described as "aggressive nationalism" and "crude populism" of populist leaders who are wary of internationalism growing in influence around the world. Obama did not directly mention the British vote to leave the European Union or the rise of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, but his speech was obviously aimed at pushing back against such developments, which he has strongly opposed. 
 
 "A nation ringed by walls would only imprison itself," Obama said. 
 
 Related: Obama to Highlight Foreign Policy Accomplishments at U.N. 
 
 Later in the speech, Obama noted, "the world is too small for us to simply build a wall." 
 
 It was a speech that sought to highlight the significant progress over the course of Obama's presidency on such issues as climate change, economic security and advocating for democratic freedoms — as he seeks to cement his legacy. 
 
 "The integration of our global economy has made life better for billions of our women and children," he said, adding "our international order has been so successful we take it as a given that great powers no longer fight wars." 
 
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 It was also a speech that underscored that, despite the progress, challenges remain as the world grapples with the rise of ISIS and eyes North Korea's nuclear ambitions. 
 
 Obama also specifically spoke out against what he called a "strong man" leadership model, arguing instead for nations with democratic governments and strong independent news institutions. He seemed to contrast with the leadership approaches of both Trump and Vladimir Putin. 
 
 "Those of use who believe in democracy, we need to speak out forcefully," he said adding, "I believe in a liberal political order." 
 
 The president acknowledged the growing gap between the rich and poor, particularly in the U.S. He argued policies such as expanding labor unions and increasing education would help address these disparities. 
 
 "The answer cannot be a simple rejection of global integration," Obama said. "We have to make sure the benefits of such integration are broadly shared." 
 
 Obama arrived in office in 2009 set on winding down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But his speech illustrated how the world has changed in the last eight years. 
 
 While U.S. troops remain in both nations, the president seemed as worried about economics and culture as military issues. 
 
 "We are seeing the same forces of global integration that have made us interdependent also expose deep fault lines in the existing international order," the president said. 
 
 President Obama arrives at the United Nations to address the General Assembly on Sept. 20. NBC News 
 
 But he argued, "we must reject any forms of fundamentalism or racism or a belief in ethnic superiority." 
 
 Obama also used the speech to list what he views as his signature achievements on foreign policy: normalizing relations with Cuba, reaching a nuclear agreement with Iran, helping push Myanmar towards democracy, agreeing with nations around the world on goals to reduce emissions and fight climate change. 
 
 The president addressed some of the issues that are viewed as shortcomings of his foreign policy approach. 
 
 He argued diplomacy was the only way to end the civil war in Syria. He called for greater international cooperation to fight ISIS. 
 
 Obama recently pledged that the U.S. would accept 110,000 refugees, up from about 85,000 this year. The administration recently announced the U.S. had reached its goal of admitting 10,000 refugees from Syria this year. 
 
 Children play at the yard of an abandoned school used by volunteers for hosting families of refugees from Syria and Afghanistan in Athens on June 27, 2016. ARIS MESSINIS / AFP - Getty Images 
 
 The U.S. remains far behind the pace of nations like Germany in accepting refugees. 
 
 But in increasing the number of refugees now, the Obama administration is both trying to address a growing humanitarian crisis, particularly in Syria but also reject the anti-Muslim, anti-refugee rhetoric of Trump. 
 
 In his 2008 campaign, Obama promised to rebuild American relations with countries abroad who had opposed the Iraq War and felt the Bush administration too often acted internationally without consulting other nations. In a September 2009 address to the United Nations General Assembly, Obama promised a "a new era of engagement based on mutual interest and mutual respect." 
 
 Related: Trump's and Obama's Views on Globalization Reflect Broader Gap 
 
 In 2008, the Pew Research Center asked people in 24 countries around the world if they had could count on President George W. Bush to do the right thing on foreign affairs issues. Majorities in only three of the 24 countries expressed confidence in Bush. 
 
 Last year, Pew asked a similar question. In 32 of the 40 countries Pew surveyed, a majority of the people had confidence in Obama's global leadership. 
 
 But Obama's 2009 speech also shows some goals he did not accomplish. 
 
 The president has not been able to convince Republicans in Congress to support the closing of the military prison at Guantanamo Bay or made much progress in achieving a permanent solution to the tensions between the Palestinians and the Israelis. 
 
 A Navy guard patrols Camp Delta's detainee recreation yard during the early morning at Guantanamo Bay naval base in a July 7, 2010 handout. President Barack Obama urged lawmakers on Tuesday to give his plan to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a "fair hearing" and said he did not want to pass the issue to his successor when he leaves the White House next year. R. Holzworth/US Army / Reuters 
 
 Even on issues like fighting climate change and reducing the nuclear weapons stockpiles around the world, Obama's achievements have been mixed. 
 
 Obama successfully reached an agreement with Iran to reduce its nuclear program, but North Korea appears to have increased its nuclear capacity over the last 8 years. 
 
 Al Qaeda has been weakened, as Obama hoped for in 2009, but ISIS has emerged as a major threat to commit terrorist acts across the globe. 
 
 Obama in 2009 argued that "power is no longer a zero-sum game" and suggested the time was over for "alignments of nations rooted in the cleavages of a long-gone Cold War." But Russian president Vladimir Putin appears to view international relations in this model Obama criticized and has taken actions in the Ukraine and Iran that the American president has opposed but could not prevent. ||||| UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Both sides would benefit if Israel recognized it cannot permanently occupy Palestinian land and if Palestinians rejected incitement and recognized Israel’s legitimacy, U.S. President Barack Obama told the United Nations on Tuesday. 
 
 Obama’s efforts to bring about an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement have failed over the nearly eight years he has been in the White House, with the latest push by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry collapsing in 2014. 
 
 U.S. officials have held out the possibility Obama could lay out the rough outlines of a deal - “parameters” in diplomatic parlance - after the Nov. 8 presidential election and before he leaves office in January, but many analysts doubt this would have much effect. 
 
 “Surely Israelis and Palestinians will be better off if Palestinians reject incitement and recognize the legitimacy of Israel ...(and if) Israel recognizes that it cannot permanently occupy and settle Palestinian land,” Obama said. 
 
 Related Coverage Obama to raise concerns about settlements with Netanyahu: White House 
 
 Speaking at the General Assembly annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations for the last time as president, Obama also said Russia was trying to recover “lost glory” through force. 
 
 He warned Russia that if it “continues to interfere in the affairs of its neighbors, it may be popular at home, it may fuel nationalist fervor for a time, but over time it is also going to diminish its stature and make its borders less secure.” 
 
 Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in 2014 after months of protests in Kiev ousted pro-Moscow Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich. 
 
 On the international dispute over the South China Sea, Obama said: “A peaceful resolution of disputes offered by law will mean far greater stability then the militarization of a few rocks and reefs.” 
 
 Slideshow (23 Images) 
 
 China claims almost all of the South China Sea, through which ships carrying about $5 trillion in trade pass every year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims in the sea, which is also believed to be rich in energy resources and fish stocks. 
 
 In July, an arbitration court in The Hague said China’s claims to the waterway were invalid, in a case was brought by the Philippines. Beijing has refused to recognize the ruling. ||||| Honored guests, citizens of Israel. 
 
 Peace was always the desire of our people. Our prophets had a vision of peace, we greet each other with peace, our prayers end with the word peace. This evening we are in the center named for two leaders who were groundbreakers for peace -Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat - and we share their vision. 
 
 Two and a half months ago, I was sworn in at the Knesset as the Prime Minister of Israel. I promised that I would establish a unity government, and did so. I believed, and still believe, that we need unity now more than ever before. 
 
 We are currently facing three tremendous challenges: The Iranian threat, the financial crisis, and the promotion of peace. 
 
 The Iranian threat still is before us in full force, as it became quite clear yesterday. The greatest danger to Israel, to the Middle East, and to all of humanity, is the encounter between extremist Islam and nuclear weapons. I discussed this with President Obama on my visit to Washington, and will be discussing it next week on my visit with European leaders. I have been working tirelessly for many years to form an international front against Iran arming itself with nuclear armaments. 
 
 With the world financial crisis, we acted immediately to bring about stability to the Israeli economy. We passed a two-year budget in the government and will pass it through the Knesset very soon. The second challenge, rather, the third, so very important challenge, facing us today, is promoting peace. I discussed this also with President Obama. I strongly support the idea of regional peace that he is advancing. I share the President of the U.S.A's desire to bring about a new era of reconciliation in our region. 
 
 I discussed this in my meetings with President Mubarak in Egypt and with King Abdullah in Jordan to obtain the assistance of these leaders in the effort to expand the circle of peace in our region. 
 
 I appeal tonight to the leaders of the Arab countries and say: Let us meet. Let us talk about peace. Let us make peace. I am willing to meet at any time, at any place, in Damascus, in Riyadh, in Beirut, and in Jerusalem as well. (Applause) 
 
 I call upon the leaders of the Arab countries to join together with the Palestinians and with us to promote economic peace. Economic peace is not a substitute for peace, but it is a very important component in achieving it. Together we can advance projects that can overcome the problems facing our region. For example, water desalinization. And we can utilize the advantages of our region, such as maximizing the use of solar energy, or utilizing its geographical advantages to lay pipelines, pipelines to Africa and Europe. 
 
 Together we can realize the initiatives that I see in the Persian Gulf, which amaze the entire world, and also amaze me. I call upon the talented entrepreneurs of the Arab world, to come and invest here, to assist the Palestinians and us, to give the economy a jump-start. Together we can develop industrial zones, we can create thousands of jobs, and foster tourism that will draw millions, people who want to walk in the footsteps of history, in Nazareth and Bethlehem, in the heights of Jericho and on the walls of Jerusalem, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and at the baptismal site of the Jordan. There is a huge potential for the development of tourism potential here. If you only agree to work together. 
 
 I appeal to you, our Palestinian neighbors, and to the leadership of the Palestinian Authority. Let us begin peace negotiations immediately without prior conditions. Israel is committed to international agreements, and expects all sides to fulfill their obligations. I say to the Palestinians: We want to live with you in peace, quiet, and good neighborly relations. We want our children and your children to 'know war no more.' 
 
 We do not want parents and wives, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, to know the sorrow of bereavement. We want our children to dream of a better future for humankind. We want us and our neighbors to devote our efforts to 'plowshares and pruning hooks' and not to "swords and spears"? I know the terror of war, I participated in battles, I lost good friends who fell [in battle], I lost a brother. I saw the pain of bereaved families from up close - very many times. I do not want war. No one in Israel wants war. (Applause) 
 
 Let us join hands and work together in peace, together with our neighbors. There is no limit to the flourishing growth that we can achieve for both peoples - in the economy, in agriculture, in commerce, tourism, education - but, above all, in the ability to give our younger generation hope to live in a place that's good to live in, a life of creative work, a peaceful life with much of interest, with opportunity and hope. 
 
 Friends, with the advantages of peace so clear, so obvious, we must ask ourselves why is peace still so far from us, even though our hands are extended for peace? Why has the conflict going on for over 60 years? To bring an end to it, there must be a sincere, genuine answer to the question: what is the root of the conflict? In his speech at the Zionist Congress in Basel, in speaking of his grand vision of a Jewish homeland for the Jewish People, Theodor Herzl, the visionary of the State of Israel, said: This is so big, we must talk about it only in the simplest words possible. 
 
 I now am asking that when we speak of the huge challenge of peace, we must use the simplest words possible, using person to person terms. Even with our eyes on the horizon, we must have our feet on the ground, firmly rooted in truth. The simple truth is that the root of the conflict has been - and remains - the refusal to recognize the right of the Jewish People to its own state in its historical homeland. 
 
 In 1947 when the United Nations proposed the Partition Plan for a Jewish state and an Arab state, the entire Arab world rejected the proposal, while the Jewish community accepted it with great rejoicing and dancing. The Arabs refused any Jewish state whatsoever, with any borders whatsoever. 
 
 Whoever thinks that the continued hostility to Israel is a result of our forces in Judea, Samaria and Gaza is confusing cause and effect. The attacks on us began in the 1920s, became an overall attack in 1948 when the state was declared, continued in the 1950s with the fedaayyin attacks, and reached their climax in 1967 on the eve of the Six-Day War, with the attempt to strangle Israel. All this happened nearly 50 years before a single Israeli soldier went into Judea and Samaria. 
 
 To our joy, Egypt and Jordan left this circle of hostility. They signed peace agreements with us which ended their hostility to Israel. It brought about peace. 
 
 To our deep regret, this is not happening with the Palestinians. The closer we get to a peace agreement with them, the more they are distancing themselves from peace. They raise new demands. They are not showing us that they want to end the conflict. 
 
 A great many people are telling us that withdrawal is the key to peace with the Palestinians. But the fact is that all our withdrawals were met by huge waves of suicide bombers. 
 
 We tried withdrawal by agreement, withdrawal without an agreement, we tried partial withdrawal and full withdrawal. In 2000, and once again last year, the government of Israel, based on good will, tried a nearly complete withdrawal, in exchange for the end of the conflict, and were twice refused. 
 
 We withdrew from the Gaza Strip to the last centimeter, we uprooted dozens of settlements and turned thousands of Israelis out of their homes. In exchange, what we received were missiles raining down on our cities, our towns and our children. The argument that withdrawal would bring peace closer did not stand up to the test of reality. 
 
 With Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north, they keep on saying that they want to 'liberate' Ashkelon in the south and Haifa and Tiberias. Even the moderates among the Palestinians are not ready to say the most simplest things: The State of Israel is the national homeland of the Jewish People and will remain so. (Applause) 
 
 Friends, in order to achieve peace, we need courage and integrity on the part of the leaders of both sides. I am speaking today with courage and honesty. We need courage and sincerity not only on the Israeli side: we need the Palestinian leadership to rise and say, simply "We have had enough of this conflict. We recognize the right of the Jewish People to a state its own in this Land. We will live side by side in true peace." I am looking forward to this moment. 
 
 We want them to say the simplest things, to our people and to their people. This will then open the door to solving other problems, no matter how difficult. The fundamental condition for ending the conflict is the public, binding and sincere Palestinian recognition of Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish People. (Applause) 
 
 For this to have practical meaning, we need a clear agreement to solve the Palestinian refugee problem outside of the borders of the State of Israel. For it is clear to all that the demand to settle the Palestinian refugees inside of Israel, contradicts the continued existence of the State of Israel as the state of the Jewish People. We must solve the problem of the Arab refugees. And I believe that it is possible to solve it. Because we have proven that we ourselves solved a similar problem. Tiny Israel took in the hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees from Arab countries who were uprooted from their homes. 
 
 Therefore, justice and logic dictates that the problem of the Palestinian refugees must be solved outside the borders of the State of Israel. There is broad national agreement on this. (Applause) 
 
 I believe that with good will and international investment of we can solve this humanitarian problem once and for all. 
 
 Friends, up to now, I have been talking about the need for the Palestinians to ecognize our rights. Now I will talk about the need for us to recognize their rights. 
 
 The connection of the Jewish People to the Land has been in existence for more than 3,500 years. Judea and Samaria, the places where our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob walked, our forefathers David, Solomon, Isaiah and Jeremiah - this is not a foreign land, this is the Land of our Forefathers. (Applause) 
 
 The right of the Jewish People to a state in the Land of Israel does not arise from the series of disasters that befell the Jewish People over 2,000 years - persecutions, expulsions, pogroms, blood libels, murders, which reached its climax in the Holocaust, an unprecedented tragedy in the history of nations. There are those who say that without the Holocaust the State would not have been established, but I say that if the State of Israel had been established in time, the Holocaust would not have taken place. (Applause) The tragedies that arose from the Jewish People's helplessness show very sharply that we need a protective state. The right to establish our sovereign state here, in the Land of Israel, arises from one simple fact: Eretz Israel is the birthplace of the Jewish People. (Applause) 
 
 As the first PM David Ben Gurion in the declaration of the State, the State of Israel was established here in Eretz Israel, where the People of Israel created the Book of Books, and gave it to the world. 
 
 But, friends, we must state the whole truth here. The truth is that in the area of our homeland, in the heart of our Jewish Homeland, now lives a large population of Palestinians. We do not want to rule over them. We do not want to run their lives. We do not want to force our flag and our culture on them. In my vision of peace, there are two free peoples living side by side in this small land, with good neighborly relations and mutual respect, each with its flag, anthem and government, with neither one threatening its neighbor's security and existence. 
 
 These two facts - our link to the Land of Israel, and the Palestinian population who live here, have created deep disagreements within Israeli society. But the truth is that we have much more unity than disagreement. 
 
 I came here tonight to talk about the agreement and security that are broad consensus within Israeli society. This is what guides our policy. This policy must take into account the international situation. We have to recognize international agreements but also principles important to the State of Israel. I spoke tonight about the first principle - recognition. Palestinians must truly recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people. The second principle is demilitarization. Any area in Palestinian hands has to be demilitarization, with solid security measures. Without this condition, there is a real fear that there will be an armed Palestinian state which will become a terrorist base against Israel, as happened in Gaza. We do not want missiles on Petah Tikva, or Grads on the Ben-Gurion international airport. We want peace. (Applause) And, to ensure peace we don't want them to bring in missiles or rockets or have an army, or control of airspace, or make treaties with countries like Iran, or Hezbollah. There is broad agreement on this in Israel. We cannot be expected to agree to a Palestinian state without ensuring that it is demilitarized. This is crucial to the existence of Israel - we must provide for our security needs. 
 
 This is why we are now asking our friends in the international community, headed by the USA, for what is necessary for our security, that in any peace agreement, the Palestinian area must be demilitarized. No army, no control of air space. Real effective measures to prevent arms coming in, not what's going on now in Gaza. The Palestinians cannot make military treaties. 
 
 Without this, sooner or later, we will have another Hamastan. We can't agree to this. Israel must govern its own fate and security. I told President Obama in Washington, if we get a guarantee of demilitarization, and if the Palestinians recognize Israel as the Jewish state, we are ready to agree to a real peace agreement, a demilitarized Palestinian state side by side with the Jewish state. (Applause) 
 
 Whenever we discuss a permanent arrangement, Israel needs defensible borders with Jerusalem remaining the united capital of Israel. (Applause) 
 
 The territorial issues will be discussed in a permanent agreement. Till then we have no intention to build new settlements or set aside land for new settlements. But there is a need to have people live normal lives and let mothers and fathers raise their children like everyone in the world. The settlers are not enemies of peace. They are our brothers and sisters. (Applause) 
 
 Friends, unity among us is, to my view, vital, and unity will help with reconciliation with our neighbors. Reconciliation must begin now. A strong Palestinian government will strengthen peace. If they truly want peace, and educate their children for peace and stop incitement, we for our part will make every effort, allow them freedom of movement and accessibility, making their lives easier and this will help bring peace. But above all, they must decide: the Palestinians must decide between path of peace and path of Hamas. They must overcome Hamas. Israel will not sit down at conference table with terrorist who seek to destroy it. (Applause) 
 
 Hamas are not willing to even let the Red Cross visit our abducted soldier Gilad Shalit who has been in captivity three years, cut off from his family and his country. We want to bring him back whole and well. With help of the international community, there is no reason why we can't have peace. With help of USA, we can do we can do the unbelievable. In 61 years, with constant threats to our existence we have achieved so much. Our microchips power the worlds computers unbelievable, we have found cures for incurable diseases. Israeli drip irrigation waters barren lands throughout the world. Israeli researchers are making worldwide breakthroughs. If our neighbors only work for peace, we can achieve peace. (Applause) 
 
 I call upon Arab leaders and Palestinian leaders: Let's go in the path of Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat, Yitzhak Rabin and King Hussein. Let's go in the path of Prophet Isaiah, who spoke thousands of years ago, they shall beat their swords into plowshares and know war no more. Let us know war no more. Let us know peace. ||||| Jerusalem (CNN) -- President Barack Obama tried Thursday to invigorate the stalled Middle East peace process, urging young Israelis to pressure their leaders to seek peace with Palestinians while acknowledging the Jewish state's historical right to exist and defend itself from continuing threats. 
 
 In a speech in Jerusalem that Obama had said would lay out his vision for the region, the president urged Israelis to look at the world through the eyes of Palestinians but also said enemies of Israel must change their rhetoric and tactics to reflect modern reality. 
 
 "You are not alone," Obama said in both English and Hebrew, prompting a standing ovation when he declared that "those who adhere to the ideology of rejecting Israel's right to exist might as well reject the Earth beneath them and the sky above, because Israel is not going anywhere." 
 
 Hours before the speech on the second day of a Middle East swing, two rockets fired from Palestinian-controlled Gaza landed in southern Israel. 
 
 They caused no injuries or major damage, but served as a symbolic welcome to Obama's visit to the West Bank on Thursday to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. A hardline group claimed responsibility. 
 
 Israel honors Obama 
 
 In another symbolic moment, Obama received Israel's highest civilian honor -- the Presidential Medal of Distinction -- Thursday night from Israeli President Shimon Peres at a state dinner that emphasized the close ties between their countries. 
 
 Noting the similarity between the histories of Israelis and African-Americans as former slaves who endured hardship before gaining freedom in a new land, Obama said, "Our very existence, our presence here tonight, is a testament that all things are possible." 
 
 Opinion: Obama goes over Netanyahu's head to the Israeli people 
 
 The earlier talks with Abbas served as a counterbalance to Obama's meetings the previous day with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, setting up the Jerusalem speech that addressed crucial issues of the stalled peace process as well as regional concerns such as the civil war in neighboring Syria and Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear weapon. 
 
 When Obama mentioned the name of Abbas in his speech Thursday, some boos erupted in the Jerusalem Convention Center among the audience of mostly young Israelis. He also was interrupted at one point by a protester's shouts, causing the president to joke that the heckling "made me feel at home" in reference to the caustic political climate in Washington. 
 
 Obama acknowledged the difficulty in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian impasse, but insisted that "peace is possible" and called on young Israelis to make it happen. 
 
 "Political leaders will not take risks if the people do not demand that they do," Obama said to applause, adding a familiar theme from his U.S. campaign speeches in declaring "you must create the change that you want to see." 
 
 Such a direct appeal to young Israelis was a "bold and courageous" move by Obama, according to Martin Indyk, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel who now is vice president and director of foreign policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington. 
 
 Noting that the president lowered expectations before his trip of what he could accomplish, Indyk told CNN that Obama now raised expectations "sky high" that he was going to personally work to make peace possible. 
 
 Kerry staying for more talks 
 
 Recently appointed Secretary of State John Kerry, who accompanied Obama on the trip that ends Friday in Jordan, will stay on to hold more talks with Israeli leaders, a senior administration official told reporters in a background briefing. 
 
 "We've done a lot of talking, a lot of listening over the course of the last two days, we'll do some more tomorrow, and then I think it'll be appropriate for Secretary Kerry to discuss next steps when he returns here," the official said. 
 
 Obama said in his speech that he believes "the Israeli people do want peace, and you have every right to be skeptical that it can be achieved," arguing that an end to the seemingly endless conflict is necessary and "the only path to true security" for Israel. 
 
 "Given the demographics west of the Jordan River, the only way for Israel to endure and thrive as a Jewish and democratic state is through the realization of an independent and viable Palestine," Obama said. "Given the frustration in the international community, Israel must reverse an undertow of isolation. And given the march of technology, 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. " 
 
 On Israel trip, differences come into focus 
 
 At the same time, he urged Israelis to empathize with the plight of Palestinians, using direct and harsh imagery to make his point. 
 
 "Put yourself in their shoes -- look at the world through their eyes," he said. "It is not fair that a Palestinian child cannot grow up in a state of her own, and lives with the presence of a foreign army that controls the movements of her parents every single day. It is not just when settler violence against Palestinians goes unpunished. It is not right to prevent Palestinians from farming their lands; to restrict a student's ability to move around the West Bank; or to displace Palestinian families from their home." 
 
 He added that "neither occupation nor expulsion is the answer," saying, "just as Israelis built a state in their homeland, Palestinians have a right to be a free people in their own land." 
 
 Arab states must seek normalized relations with Israel, and Palestinians must "recognize that Israel will be a Jewish state, and that Israelis have the right to insist upon their security," Obama also said. 
 
 Obama: Israeli settlements 'counterproductive' 
 
 He prompted applause from the young Israeli crowd when he criticized their government's controversial policy of building new settlements in disputed territories. 
 
 "Israelis must recognize 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," Obama said. 
 
 On a personal note, the president told how he met with young Palestinians before his speech and they differed little from his own daughters, adding that he believed Israeli parents would want Palestinian youths to succeed if they had a chance to talk to them. 
 
 During his earlier visit to to Ramallah in the West Bank, Obama stressed the need for direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians for a two-state solution. 
 
 Palestinians see Israeli 'growth' as roadblock 
 
 "The Palestinian people deserve an end to occupation and the daily indignities that come with it," he said at a news conference with Abbas, adding that Palestinians deserve "a future of hope" and a "state of their own." 
 
 Obama said he and Abbas discussed, among other things, the Israeli settlements and the issue of Palestinian prisoners. He called for shunning the old habits, arguments and formulas that have stymied the peace process and envisioned "two nations, two neighbors at peace, Israel and Palestine." 
 
 At the news conference and in his later speech, Obama said the foundation for a peace agreement exists if both sides can overcome internal and external obstacles and pressure, and can join together making the leap. 
 
 The core issues right now, Obama said, are achieving sovereignty for Palestinians and security for Israel. 
 
 "That's not to say settlements are not important," he told reporters. "It is to say that if we solve those two problems, the settlement problem will be solved. So I don't want to put the cart before the horse. I want to make sure that we are getting to the core issues and the substance." 
 
 During a news conference on Wednesday with Netanyahu, neither leader mentioned the settlements, showing the sensitivity of the issue for the conservative prime minister who just formed a new coalition government after a narrow election victory. 
 
 In Ramallah on Thursday, Obama praised the Palestinian Authority led by Abbas but said Hamas, which governs Gaza, "has the responsibility to prevent" violations of a cease-fire with Israel such as the two rockets fired in the morning. 
 
 Abbas: Peace 'is necessary' 
 
 Abbas, however, said the Israeli settlements are "more than a hurdle to peace," calling them illegal and saying it was Israel's duty to stop building them. 
 
 At the same time, Abbas said Palestinians believe peace "is necessary and inevitable," and it should not be made through violence, occupation, walls, denial of refugee rights or settlements -- reciting a list of Palestinian grievances against Israel. 
 
 He envisioned a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders with Jerusalem as capital -- a scenario unacceptable to Israel. 
 
 On Wednesday, Obama and Netanyahu offered a "good cop-bad cop" approach to Iran's nuclear ambitions. 
 
 Both countries have accused Iran of secretly working toward building a nuclear weapon, and Netanyahu made it clear Wednesday after his talks with Obama that he believes the president is equally committed to preventing a nuclear-armed Iran. 
 
 5 things to know about Obama's first presidential visit to Israel 
 
 In comments to reporters Wednesday and in Thursday's speech, Obama called for more diplomacy on Iran while endorsing Israel's right to defend itself as it sees fit. He also insisted that "all options" remain open -- code for a military strike to disable the Iranian program. 
 
 That prompted a warning Thursday from Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, that Tehran would destroy Tel Aviv if Israel were to attack its nuclear facilities. 
 
 Obama also warned the Syrian government that using chemical weapons against opposition forces or allowing such weapons to be obtained by terrorists would be a "game-changer" in terms of U.S. involvement in the conflict. His administration has been criticized for not providing military aid to the Syrian opposition. 
 
 On Wednesday, Obama sought to assure Netanyahu and Israelis of his commitment to their security and to strengthen what have been strained personal and working relationships between the two men. 
 
 In what Netanyahu called a key development, the leaders announced new talks on extending U.S. military assistance to Israel for another 10 years past the current agreement, which expires in 2017. 
 
 Opinion: Obama's Israel trip is about legacy 
 
 CNN's Jessica Yellin and John King reported from Jerusalem and the West Bank, and CNN's Azadeh Ansari, Karen Smith, Michael Schwartz, Jason Hanna, Joe Sterling, Holly Yan and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report, which was written by Tom Cohen in Washington.
– President Obama addressed the United Nations as president for the final time on Tuesday with a speech that urged world leaders make a "course correction" and be more open to refugees and less authoritarian. And he seemed to be take a shot, more than once, at Donald Trump's vision of a big, beautiful wall. Some lines from accounts by the AP, Politico, Reuters, ABC News and NBC News: "Today, a nation ringed by walls would only imprison itself." “The world is simply too small to be able to build a wall and stop it from affecting our own societies.” He also said, apparently in reference to Zika, that "mosquitoes don't respect walls." "We must respect the meaning that people draw from their own traditions, from their religion, their ethnicity, from their sense of nationhood. But I do not believe progress is possible if our desire to preserve our identities gives way to an impulse to dehumanize or dominate another group." "In countries held together by borders drawn by colonial powers with ethnic enclaves and tribal divisions, politics and elections can sometimes appear to be a zero sum game. And so given the difficulty in forging true democracy in the face of these pressures, it's no surprise that some argue the future favors the strongman. A top-down model rather than strong democratic institutions. But I believe this thinking is wrong." "History shows that strongmen are then left with two paths. Permanent crackdown, which sparks strife at home, or scapegoating enemies abroad, which can lead to war." "In a world that left the age of empire behind, we see Russia attempting to recover lost glory through force." "Surely Israelis and Palestinians will be better off if Palestinians reject incitement and recognize the legitimacy of Israel ...(and if) Israel recognizes that it cannot permanently occupy and settle Palestinian land." Watch a video of the speech via USA Today.