U.S. President Barack Obama said Tuesday that his disagreement with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over how to pursue a Middle East peace deal was substantive, not personal.

Netanyahu's declaration just ahead of his latest election victory that he opposes the creation of a Palestinian state angered the White House, which is still seeking a "two state" solution to the conflict.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on Tuesday facing one of Israel's worst-ever confrontations with the White House, which has shown absolutely no sign of accepting his post-election attempts at contrition.

Just a week after winning a shock election victory, earning a third consecutive term in office, he remains mired in a diplomatic crisis with U.S. President Barack Obama's administration.

U.S. President Barack Obama's chief of staff rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attempts to distance himself from his comments rejecting Palestinian statehood, telling an Israel advocacy group Monday that the U.S. can't just overlook what Netanyahu said on the eve of his re-election.

"An occupation that has lasted more than 50 years must end," White House chief of staff Denis McDonough said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized publicly on Monday for saying Arab Israelis were voting in "droves" in election day comments that drew condemnation, including from the United States.

"I know that my statements last week offended some Israeli citizens and members of the Arab Israeli community. That was never my intention. I apologize for that," he said during a meeting with Arab Israelis that was broadcast by television channels.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to be tasked with forming the next coalition government this week after winning on Monday a clear majority of support from newly elected MPs. 

Netanyahu's surprise victory in last week's snap election has paved the way for the likely emergence of a new rightwing religious government that may complicate efforts to resurrect the peace process and pose further challenges for Israel's troubled ties with Washington.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Sunday began consultations with representatives of parties elected to parliament last week to hear who they would recommend as prime minister.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rightwing Likud party scored an unexpected election victory on March 17, taking 30 of the parliament's 120 seats, compared with 24 for its closest challenger, the centre-left Zionist Union.

Israel's elections, which saw Benjamin Netanyahu clinch a third term, will not greatly affect Barack Obama's defense of any deal reached with Iran, the U.S. president said.

"I don't think it will have a significant impact," Obama told The Huffington Post in an interview Friday published in full on Saturday.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday and urged him to renew Israel's commitment to a "two-state solution" to the Middle East conflict.

Netanyahu won re-election this week after a close-fought parliamentary campaign in which he toughened his stance, vowing he would thwart the creation of a Palestinian state.

The White House on Thursday raised the prospect of withdrawing crucial diplomatic cover for Israel at the United Nations, following Benjamin Netanyahu's divisive election victory.

Angered by Netanyahu's shock campaign pledge to block the creation of a Palestinian state, the White House warned the foundation of its policy for backing Israel had been undermined.

The Loyalty to the Resistance bloc urged on Thursday the need to continue with the dialogue between Hizbullah and the Mustaqbal Movement, condemning attempts to derail the talks.

MP Hussein Fadlallah said after the bloc's weekly meeting that the dialogue will continue away from attempts to sabotage by those “adopting political spite.”