“This was not about a ceremonial meeting,” Axelrod told CNN Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley. “This was a working meeting.”

Axelrod added, “Look, Israel is a close, dear, and valued friend of the U.S., a great ally. That is an unshakeable bond. But sometimes part of friendship is expressing yourself bluntly.”

Asked why the United States did not simply withhold the billions of dollars in aid it gives Israel every year, the Obama adviser responded that the administration was working its way through its concerns with Israel. “We think we’re doing it in the appropriate way,” he said, “And I’m confident that we will make progress. But we’re going to make it by being blunt and straightforward, as allies are, and use the channel, the appropriate channels.”