«Top News Sarkozy tells Obama Netanyahu is a liar Tue Nov 8, 2011 8:25pm GMT By Yann Le Guernigou PARIS (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy branded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a liar in a private conversation with U.S. President Barack Obama that was accidentally broadcast to journalists during last weeks G20 summit in Cannes. I cannot bear Netanyahu, hes a liar, Sarkozy told Obama, unaware that the microphones in their meeting room had been switched on, enabling reporters in a separate location to listen in to a simultaneous translation. Youre fed up with him, but I have to deal with him even more often than you, Obama replied, according to the French interpreter. The technical gaffe is likely to cause great embarrassment to all three leaders as they look to work together to intensify international pressure on Iran over its nuclear ambitions. The conversation was not initially reported by the small group of journalists who overheard it because it was considered private and off-the-record. But the comments have since emerged on French websites and can be confirmed by Reuters. White House press secretary Jay Carney declined to comment on the conversation when asked by reporters traveling with Obama to an event in Philadelphia. Obamas apparent failure to defend Netanyahu is likely to be leapt on by his Republican foes, who are looking to unseat him in next years presidential election and have portrayed him as hostile to Israel, Washingtons closest ally in the region. Pushing Netanyahu risks alienating Israels strong base of support among the U.S. public and in Congress. Netanyahus office declined to comment, but one of his deputies, Vice Premier Silvan Shalom, played down the episode. Everyone talks about everyone. Sometimes even good friends say things about each other, certainly in such competitive professions, Shalom, a former foreign minister and rival of Netanyahu in the rightist Likud party, told Israels Army Radio. So you have to consider the main things. Is Obama a friend of Israel? Is Sarkozy a friend of Israel? Is their policy a consistent policy of support for Israel? The answer to all of these questions is affirmative and, as far as Im concerned, that is whats important. PALESTINIAN WORRIES Obama and Netanyahu have had a rocky relationship as U.S. efforts to broker a Middle East peace deal have foundered, with the U.S. president openly criticizing Jewish settlement building in the occupied Palestinian territories. It was unclear why exactly Sarkozy had criticized Netanyahu. However, European diplomats have largely blamed Israel for the breakdown in peace talks and have expressed anger over Netanyahus approval of large-scale settlement building. During their bilateral meeting on November 3, on the sidelines of the Cannes summit, Obama criticized Sarkozys surprise decision to vote in favor of a Palestinian request for membership of the U.N. cultural heritage agency UNESCO. I didnt appreciate your way of presenting things over the Palestinian membership of UNESCO. It weakened us. You should have consulted us, but that is now behind us, Obama was quoted as saying. The October 31 UNESCO vote marked a success for the Palestinians in their broader thrust for recognition as a sovereign state in the U.N. system -- a unilateral initiative fiercely opposed by Israel and the United States. You have to pass the message along to the Palestinians that they must stop this immediately, Obama said.
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 14:02:47 +0000
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