According to The Christian Science Monitor, Vice President Joe Biden concluded his five-day visit to Israel by giving a speech at Tel Aviv University in which he praised the relationship between the Jewish state and the U.S.

However, Biden also did little to temper criticism toward how the country has handled the conflict between Israelis and the Palestinians. Biden also criticized Israel’s decision to build roughly 1,600 homes in East Jerusalem, a development which was announced during Biden’s visit, a development which has been interpreted as a sign of conflict, given the U.S. opposition to expansion.

In his speech, Biden praised Israel several times, relating to the audience that “I said if I was Jew, I would be a Zionist. I was reminded by my father you need not be a Jew to be a Zionist.” But Biden also stated the need for Israelis and Palestinians to begin peace talks, arguing that, “the most important thing is for these talks to go forward and go forward promptly and go forward in good faith. We can’t delay.”

For their part, the attendees of Biden’s speech lauded the emotional tone, while not necessarily agreeing with the Vice President’s premises.

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