White House declines Netanyahu request to meet with Obama

[DonViejo]

Last edited Tue Sep 11, 2012, 08:47 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Haaretz

White House declines Netanyahu request to meet with Obama

The White House's response marks a new low in relations between Netanyahu and Obama, underscored by the fact that this is the first time Netanyahu will visit the U.S. as prime minister without meeting Obama.

The White House declined Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request on Tuesday to meet U.S. President Barack Obama during a UN conference in New York at the end of the month.

An official in Jerusalem said that the prime minister's office sent the White House a message stating that although Netanyahu will spend only two and a half days on U.S. soil, he is interested in meeting Obama and is willing to travel to the U.S. capital specifically for that purpose. The official added that the White House rejected the request and said that at this time Obama's schedule does not allow for a meeting.

The White House's response marks a new low in relations between Netanyahu and Obama, underscored by the fact that this is the first time Netanyahu will visit the U.S. as prime minister without meeting the president.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak tried to ease the tension on Tuesday, saying that the differences between the U.S. and Israel should be ironed out "but behind closed doors."

"We must not forget that the U.S. is Israel's most important source of support in terms of security," he said in a statement.

Earlier on Tuesday, Netanyahu launched an unprecedented verbal attack on the U.S. government over its stance on the Iranian nuclear program.

Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/white-house-declines-netanyahu-request-to-meet-with-obama.premium-1.464328

---

Registration required @ Haaretz....

I was reading through the comments and found this important post from Tx4obama; The White House response.

Thanks Tx!


Tx4obama (21,645 posts)
20. Netanyahu will not be at the UN the same day Obama will be.


-snip

An Israeli official said the White House had refused Netanyahu's request to meet Obama when the Israeli leader visits the United States to attend the U.N. General Assembly, telling the Israelis "the president's schedule will not permit that."

White House spokesman Tommy Vietor denied Netanyahu's request had been spurned, insisting instead that the two leaders were attending the General Assembly on different days and would not be in New York at the same time.

Netanyahu has had a strained relationship with Obama, but they have met on all but one of his U.S trips since 2009. The president was on a foreign visit when the prime minister came to the United States in November 2010.

-snip-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/11/obama-netanyahu-meeting_n_1874814.html

[Thrill]

1. He shouldn't have criticized the US

earlier today.

[totodeinhere]

24. So foreign leaders are not allowed to criticize us anymore?

I think that sets a bad precedent.

[Thrill]

30. Know whats bad precedent?

Foreign leaders injecting themselves into US Presidential Elections. Which is exactly what he is doing. He basically grew up in the US. He knows exactly what he is doing

[totodeinhere]

38. "Foreign leaders injecting themselves into US presidential elections" is an old

game that has been practiced during many election cycles. For instance, Winston Churchill actively campaigned for FDR in 1940.
That doesn't make it right, but let the voters see what is going on and come to their own conclusions.

[thucythucy]

67. Churchill "actively campaigned for FDR in 1940"?

Really? Have you got a source for that?

Reading Churchill's memoirs, I got the distinct impression he actively AVOIDED voicing support for FDR, for fear the reactionary right isolationists would accuse FDR of trying to drag the US into a war "to pull England's chestnuts out of the fire."

In December 1941, when Churchill visited the US after Pearl Harbor, he made it a point to meet with Wendill Wilkie, the GOP candidate for president in 1940.

[Katashi_itto]

95. +1000

[nanabugg]

33. No, only the ones taking so much from us. nt

[totodeinhere]

36. That would be almost all of them. n/t

[MADem]

45. What are you talking about? We don't roll out the red carpet when people shit on us, is all.

No one said he couldn't come visit--it'll just happen on OUR schedule, not his demands based on his personal convenience in a busy period.

Dumb bastard should know better than to interfere in a Presidential election--and that is what he's trying to do.

Wouldn't surprise me at all if Bibi the Warmonger cozies up to McCain and/or RMoney as an alternate.

[Suji to Seoul]

86. Foreign leaders that bite the hand that feeds them deserve to be shunned

North Korea loathes China. . .most Chinese people know that and dislike North Korea.

[Katashi_itto]

96. Damn straight! He wants to play that game. Hopefully he is out of luck getting a meeting

till after the election.

[texshelters]

109. I agree whole heartedly

with Katashi and Suji. Mil kudos!@

PTxS

[4th law of robotics]

107. If anyone criticizes us we should burn down their consolates

murder their ambassadors and demand they apologize.

It's their own fault for provoking us.

[Purveyor]

2. You can read this Reuters article at the following link without registering...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/11/us-israel-iran-netanyahu-idUSBRE88A10B20120911

[Ezlivin]

3. The White House is anti-Semetic

When will Obama and his administration finally let Israel run things? They need control at the White House and he is obstructing them.

[southernyankeebelle]

17. You know there is a way to get Netty's attention. Do you know how they get the balls off a calf

not to make them so aggressive? Put a rubber band around the balls real tight until the fall off. That will do. He will stop being aggressive and make him a Miss instead of Mr. If that fails the stop the aide going to them. That will shut his big fat mouth. Just saying.

[MADem]

46. A bit harsh, that--just make noises about cutting the foreign aid/military sales, and that should

tone down the rhetoric. We are very generous to both Israel and Egypt.

[southernyankeebelle]

72. I know its harsh and I know it isn't going to happen. Light up I was only joking.

[Dkc05]

40. time to cut bait

[redgreenandblue]

4. I think Netanyahu just might have pissed off a few people in the White House.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

5. finally. the tail no longer wags the dog.

Bibi has a problem. If he throws too much of a hissy fit, and pushes for Romney, he risks really pissing off the country and losing even more pull within the WH. Even worse, if he is seen meddling in our politics, people will NOT take kindly to that, and will react badly to Israel's efforts.

Then again, Romney has not been the sharpest of tacks on any issue, and Bibi has his own severe case of myopia. together, they can really fuck things up. For themselves.

[Panasonic]

8. Bibi blew it a long time ago.

The coalition party needs to be broken up and an election date is set.

The country needs to go left - Likudniks has lost all credibility and should not be trusted.

The Labor Party needs to find other lefties to form a coalition party and get Bibi kicked out as well as Avigdor Lieberman who is a danger to Israel.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

11. true. quite true.

AIPAC and other local groups have to be shitting themselves right now. Normally, congressional doors and every WH door was always open to them. Now, given the crap caused by Bibi, that may not be the case. And, I suspect, except for Lieberman (is that asshole STILL on tv?), even the strongest AIPAC supporters will not go out on a limb against the White House in favor of Bibi's war-mongering.

[AverageJoe90]

18. My thinking exactly! nt

[former9thward]

21. "if he is seen meddling in our politics, people will NOT take kindly to that,"

But people in the U.S. seem to have no problem meddling in Israeli politics. We want to tell them where their capital can and can't be, where they can build housing for their population, etc. Interesting double standard.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

25. "where they can build housing for their population"

On illegal settlements outside of Israel?

[former9thward]

29. If they are outside of Israel then I'm sure that country will take care of it.

I don't know what that country is and I am unaware of any country in the world that has recognized it but since its "outside Israel" I'm sure its there.

[nanabugg]

35. Occupied people seek voice from the world. nt

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

41. "I don't know what that country is."

Now if that statement isn't weak sauce then what is?

The nation of Israel exists within the Jewish people and has for millennium with or without a state.

The nation of Palestine exists within the Palestinian peoples: presently existing on lands where they exist under apartheid.

[former9thward]

43. Is that your declaration or does any country in the world recognize "Palestine"?

There are plenty of Israeli hating countries out there so I'm sure you can find some for your cause.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

59. Israel certainly doesn't recognize Palestine, and that is sad.

For a people that have wandered for literally generations without a home and now have one Israel should be the first country to recognize Palestine, regardless that some of them are assholes, give them back the lands pilfered by illegal settlements, and accept that life isn't always going to be easy.

What legal or moral standpoint can one country have where its citizenry move into territory not within its borders except colonialism?

Let's see you put some spin on the next answer.

[former9thward]

65. When you fight wars and lose them shit happens.

Ask Germany and Japan. The Arab countries launched a war, in violation of the UN mandate, the minute Israel was created. They used the Palestinians as pawns in that war and those that followed. If the Palestinians had stayed put they would not be in their situation today. Instead they listened to the Arab countries who said to flee their homes so they could kill all the Jews who remained. We occupied Japan and Germany too for years. If you are going to attack you better win. That is not spin it is the real world like it or not.

[Ash_F]

68. Germany and Japan are now free Democratic societies

Even though right-wing insurgents in both countries continued to commit attacks against the occupiers, the allies treated the greater population with dignity and respect. And further allowed them to be involved in the running of the government that they lived under. Do you see how this is different than how Israel treats the Palestinians?

PS - Oh and btw. What happened to those Right-Wing German and Japanese insurgent movements after the allies allowed the greater populations representation? They died out. Thank you for bringing up WWII. Maybe reviewing that history will help you see the error in your logic.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

71. You are writing to a partisan on the subject.

Most likely the texts that this argument is derived from is not based on human rights or modern society but instead one that was derived thousands of years ago without any basis in reality.

[Ash_F]

73. Maybe there is still hope for him yet.

Either way, it's a good history review and got me thinking about some things.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

74. There is always hope.

[former9thward]

102. Oh what a lovely picture you paint of post war Germany and Japan.

No, people were not treated with "dignity and respect". Conditions in Germany were deplorable with estimates of up to two million deaths by starvation in the western part of Germany. One of the allies was the Soviet Union. It imposed decades of economic and political brutality against Germans in the east. Germans in the eastern part of now unified Germany still suffer as a result.

BTW if you are worried about the conditions of Palestinians please go to Palestinian camps in Lebanon and Jordon. See how the Arab countries treat the people whose cause they supposedly support. I have been to camps in both countries and the conditions are deplorable. The people there would kill to get to go to the West Bank.


But go ahead and paint your pictures. It has no basis in reality but I doubt that bothers you.

[Ash_F]

111. The allies worked from the beginning to get axis nations back on their feet...

..and involved in their government. And they made did make concerted efforts to combat poverty and starvation. The West did, at least. They even re-established workers unions, something the previous right-wing governments abolished. I am aware of the suffering you described(as you say, war has consequences) but that is not relevant to the point. The Allies were not trying to create suffering, nor make excuses for it. No they did not hand back sovereignty right away but they worked on it from day one. And they did not allow the attacks of a minority of extremist partisans poison that process, because it was the right thing to do. Pointing the finger at the misdeeds of neighboring Arab countries is also not relevant to this point. Those countries are not proper democracies either; I am not sure if you think I support that or something. I think you are really focused on finding "the bad guy" here to justify everything, but that is not the way to look forward and improve anything.

Remember this sub-thread started when you made a post purposefully ignoring an entire population(4 million) that would be forced into an increasingly shrinking ghetto, with no way to escape, if it went as you said. That is a messed up attitude to have for being a member of a site like this(with no basis on reality). The backlash you are receiving from multiple people is a result of that. All I am saying is that people should not be ignored, history has proven this is the right way to go.

Cheers

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

113. And yet illegal Israeli settlements still exist on Palestinian lands.

Why deflect from that?

But go ahead and paint your pictures. It has no basis in reality but I doubt that bothers you.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

69. I exprected the spin and you didn't fail in the delivery.

How many Allied colonies were illegally set up in those countries after WWII?

How many Allied colonies are there today?

How many Americans just appeared and said that the land belonged to them?

You could rename the Palestinian territories the Sudetenland, and you would be closer to the answer of what is truly going on.

[rayofreason]

83. google "Kaliningrad" n/t

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

84. Are you suggesting that the Israelis

should be viewed as no different than the monstrous and expansionist Soviet Union?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_invasion_of_Poland

Some descriptions of the Soviets: cruel, evil, vindictive and murderous.

Want to go there?


I thank you for enlightening me on that point, though. I had forgotten that bit of history with most of eastern Europe being absorbed into the confines of the totalitarian hug of the Soviets. Although I do not view Israel as I would the Soviet Union I still believe that countries, prompted by evil leaders, will do whatever they can to destroy a different culture if it will advance their own motives.

[rayofreason]

88. Kaliningrad...

...is only one piece of land that changed hands. The USSR grabbed a slice of Poland (the part they got when they negotiated with the Nazis) and then gave the new Poland a slice of Germany. There were mass migrations/deportations. Today we do not have permanent "refugee" camps in Germany staffed by the UN, or suicide bombers trying to take back Koeningsburg. I guess the people of central Europe decide to get over it and look forward, not back.

Germany launched a war and lost. There were consequences. Territory changes hands sometimes because of such consequences. This has always been true and likely always will be true. Sometimes the initiator of the war gains. The Balkan League did so in 1912. Nowadays that kind of behavior is frowned upon. But if you start a war and lose, most people will still say you have to take your lumps.

[azurnoir]

90. but there is the magic word they negotiated with the Germans who gave it up willingly

not so in the case of the Palestinians, in none of the cases you mentioned were entire countries lost just snips of land here and there

[rayofreason]

100. "Germans...gave it up willingly" You have got to be joking/smoking. n/t

[Ash_F]

94. But the Palestinians are basically trapped where they are.

The Germans that were expelled ended up in what is today modern Germany, which was able to absorb them and of course allowed them representation in government. Palestinians don't have a similar option, though most yearn for a new home. Many have made it into Jordan and Egypt but there are still about 4 million who would need to find a place that could absorb their numbers. The US had a hard time absorbing the mere 400K displaced by Katrina, in a land area 500 times larger. This would not be a trivial migration, but maybe someday. In the meantime, what is the excuse for human rights abuses of civilians who were not even alive during the war? "take your lumps"? That is ridiculous.

You are right that people need to get over it and look forward, not back. But it is not just the Palestinians.

[rayofreason]

99. In 1948...

...there were not 4 million Palestinians in Israel - the number displaced was about 700,000. The West Bank was grabbed by Jordan and Gaza was grabbed by Eygpt. Curious that there was no Palestinian state formed then, no? But remember, it was the Arabs who attacked the newly formed state of Israel, with the stated intention of driving all the Jews out and/or killing them.

In 1945, Germany had about 65 million people, and 12-14 million (about 20%) were expelled from previously German lands. Egypt had a population of 35 million in 1948, so the displaced Palestinians would have amounted to 2% of the population, yet the Egyptians chose not to allow any Palestinians to settle in Egypt.

The Arab world attacked Israel with the express intention of wiping it out. They lost. They have never accepted that fact and there is still a strong desire to wipe out Israel. Until the Arabs get over that desire, there will be no peace.

[Ash_F]

112. Until <blank>, there will be no peace. <- a common right-wing line

(sigh) A sad thing to see on a site like this. "The Arabs desire to wipe out Israel" is a common right-wing lie and it is also sad to see that one here. You shouldn't paint the majority of Palestinians with the opinions of an extremist right-wing minority.

There were a lot factors involved other than the numbers you gave. I won't get into a point for point but the situations are not comparable, and yes that is partially the fault of the neighboring countries, not just Israel. Also, I am talking about today and the future, not 1948. Being stuck in 1948 won't help anything.

I am not opposed to the idea of resettlement in neighboring countries as a possible solution to Palestinian's plight. I am just saying it is easier said than done. A Palestinian living in the occupied territories today does not have not that option. So why should that person suffer from human rights abuses, today?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

106. And the repeated lumps are that "illegal" settlements appear on Palestinian lands?

Laughable.

[cpwm17]

81. If you believe the total BS in your post

then I have a bridge to nowhere I can sell you really cheap. No serious historian agrees with your account of history.

It's should be no surprise to anyone that you believe in that racist version of history since you support an Apartheid state and ethnic cleansing.

[The Stranger]

91. Same old repeated lies about the "Palestinians [being] pawns of the Arabs."

They're being occupied by Israel, not the Arabs.

To paraphrase: when you occupy people, shit happens.

And you can never win at occupation, regardless of whether you believe they attacked first.

[Comrade Grumpy]

61. The rest of the world knows it as the occupied territories.

[former9thward]

63. Really?

Do they have nation to nation relations between each other? Just like any other country which is recognized? I didn't think so....

[Comrade Grumpy]

115. 130 countries recognize Palestine as a state.

http://imeu.net/news/article0065.shtml

Who blocks formal Palestinian statehood? We know the answer to that, don't we?

[former9thward]

116. I wonder where the capital is?

I have never seen that on a map.

Yes we do know the answer to the blockage of statehood. It is the Palestinians. If they were to get statehood it would mean recognition of Israel right to exist. And that they will never ever do that. Never. That is why Arafat rejected the Clinton Camp David peace deal in 2000. He was offered everything he wanted and still turned it down. He knew it would be his death to recognize the right of Israel to exist.

[cpwm17]

42. So you then support a "one state solution?"

Since you claim this area outside the boarders of Israel is really part of Israel, you must support a "one state solution."

Great, now everybody that lives within these boarders has equal rights, including the right to vote - problem solved.

[former9thward]

44. The Palestinians do not recognize the right of Israel to exist.

Until that happens and they stop firing rockets into Israeli cities, sending their children strapped with bombs into teenage pizza hangouts, then it will be a one state solution.

[Dkc05]

51. why should they

Occupiers

[former9thward]

54. Well they don't have to.

They can take your position. Hasn't worked out too well for them over the last 60 years. But in another 60 or 600 years who knows?

[Harry_Scrote]

80. Whst is your stake in this?

Why do fail to see the alternative... You have a vested interest which lends to you sounding Zionist. Who is paying you to post?

[former9thward]

104. The state of Israel pays me $1000 for every post I do on DU.

It is really quite lucrative. How much are you getting?

[Ash_F]

62. Chicken and Egg

Palestinians are simply not born with the same rights. Even Israeli Arabs and non-Ashkenazi Jews suffer from discrimination in Israel today. You don't punish someone preemptively just because of where they were born or their ethnicity. That is fundamental morality. By your logic, apartheid in South Africa should have continued because of the actions of violent rebels, or slavery should not have been abolished in the States due to the slave riots. You are advocating perpetual oppression.

Both of those injustices were corrected by the party with the power choosing to do what is right in taking the first step. The same must happen in Israel.

[cpwm17]

82. It is already one state

ONE APARTHEID STATE

I can only imagine what Americans would do if someone tried to do to us what has been done to the Palestinians, considering our bad habit of bombing people that have never threatened or harmed us in any way..

[MADem]

47. Yes--that "Palestinian Army" that the Palestinians don't have will take care of it.

Come on--you're not naive; stop playing like it. You're insulting Jimmy Carter's many years of hard work on this issue when you parse and play word games.

[former9thward]

52. Jimmy Carter deviated from either party's position on Israel long ago.

I don't agree with his "hard work". If you agree with him then you certainly don't hold the position of any mainstream Democratic leaders.

[MADem]

77. His efforts were a foundation, not a conclusion. nt

[hedgehog]

26. He who pays the piper calls the tune?

The Obama Administration’s FY2013 request includes $3.1 billion in Foreign Military Financing
for Israel and $15 million for refugee resettlement. Within the U.S. Department of Defense, the
U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s FY2013 budget request includes $99.8 million in joint U.S.-
Israeli co-development for missile defense.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33222.pdf

[former9thward]

28. Then I am sure you will have no problem having China dictate our policies.

They have loaned us hundreds of billions to keep our budget afloat so I guess they get run things.

[MADem]

48. We can just print hundreds of billions and pay them back if they insist--don't think they'd go for

that, do you? That's what some might call a Pyrrhic Victory.

See, they may pay the piper, but they don't lead the orchestra.

[former9thward]

53. Oh I think they do lead it.

Since we became a heavy debtor to China we have largely gone quiet on China's civil rights abuses. We will pick a dissident here and there to complain about --out of nation of 1.2 billion -- but that is about it. So I think China is getting a nice return on investment.

[MADem]

79. Silent? Really? Perhaps you aren't listening.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-18993615

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-31/china/33520888_1_kachin-independence-army-ethnic-minority-rebel-groups-myanmar-s-kachin

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/05/world/asia/a-harsh-reception-for-clinton-in-chinas-state-media.html

China needs our money to be worth something, otherwise they get ZERO return on their investment. It's a symbiotic relationship. We'll keep telling them what we think, but we're not the "boss of them," anymore than they are the boss of us.

[Ash_F]

55. Wow what an expertly crafted statement...

...that makes no mention of the existence that whole other population. Bravo, you should work for the Romney campaign to teach them something about messaging, empathy and being in touch.

And the US consistently vetos UN resolutions, that the entire rest of the world supports, in favor of the Israeli government's position. Every time. This has not changed under Obama. The level of political support the U.S. gives couldn't be any higher. That is 'meddling' to you? I supposed if they did so much as merely abstain, you would consider that an act of war?

[former9thward]

58. I lost count of the strawmen in your post.

The original poster I replied to said he didn't want Israel "meddling" in U.S. politics. Fine. If that is the principle then perhaps we shouldn't meddle in Israeli politics either. Now go ahead and insert your anti-Israel rants wherever you want.

[Ash_F]

64. I am not anti-Israel, I am anti right-wing ideaology.

You act like the US has not been supportive. I argue that they have been supportive, over-supportive in some cases. There were no strawmen there.

Cheers

PS - Speaking of strawmen, I believe in a free democratic Israel. "Anti-Israel" lol

[snooper2]

98. I agree, and we shouldn't be giving them any aid either..

They are big boys right, they can take care of theirselves...

[former9thward]

105. I would have no problem cutting aid to Israel all the other countries in the region.

Cut aid to the Arab countries and cut aid to the Palestinians who we fund.

[Odin2005]

57. Wow, I never expected to see a supporter of GENOCIDE on DU.

[former9thward]

60. Supporter of Israel is now equal to genocide.

Ok. Got it. Why in the world do you post on DU which supports the Democratic party? Doesn't being part of a party that supports genocide and voting for party leaders that support genocide bother you? Or do you just look past that small problem?

[Odin2005]

75. You support the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their own land...

...in order to make room for Israeli settlers.

Obama agrees with the rest of the world that those settlements are illegal under international law. It is the right who supports the settlers because they think it will make Jesus return sooner.

The Pals would not be shooting rockets at Israel if the Israelis were not ethnically cleansing them.

[David__77]

70. The US is not sanctioning nor threatening Israel.

Israel is free to sever US influence at any time, in fact. There are some in that country who would prefer that course, and see the US as undermining its national security in the long run.

[Tx4obama]

6. The White House did NOT decline the meeting - there is a confict in schedules. Big difference! n/t

[nanabugg]

37. But this is the spin that the RW wants to push to turn off the Jewish vote for Obama. nt

[Ash_F]

56. Not being fooled, they'll go at least 80% Dem /nt

[tularetom]

7. Good, finally a president who will stand up to this thug

[leftynyc]

10. The story is wrong

He will be meeting with SOS Clinton and some others but Bibi and Pres Obama will not be at the General Assemby on the same day. Meanwhile I heard yesterday that the madman from Iran will be addressing the GA on Yom Kippur.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/159820

What could possibly go wrong?

[azurnoir]

22. No the story is right Obama will not be meeting Netanyahu but one of Obama's 'underlings' will

now I say underling because both both Obama and Netanyahu are their respective countries leaders the same could said if Netanyahu refused to meet with Obama and sent Yvet (Avigdor Lieberman) instead but thanks for the link to settler news on Ahmadinejad's addressing the UN

[leftynyc]

93. The implication of the story is WRONG

He didn't refuse to meet with Bibi but if it you happy to think so, knock yourself out. You would think that what happened last week at the convention would have taught you something but it seems to have gone right over your head. Carry on with your fantasies. Don't like the link for the true ahmadinejad story? Tough.

[azurnoir]

97. yes the White house is now denying that there was a request for a meeting

The White House denied published reports that Mr Obama had rejected Mr Netanyahu's request to meet with him in Washington next week. No such request was made or rejected, White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said.

The unusual, late-night announcement from the White House comes after Netanyahu criticised what he called the world's failure to spell out what would provoke a US-led military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities. Netanyahu has urged the US to set "red lines" for Tehran and the Obama administration refused.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/9537354/White-House-denies-rift-with-Israel-over-Iranian-nuclear-weapons.html

[MADem]

49. The Mini-Mayor of Teheran has plenty to atone for, though I doubt he'll use the opportunity! nt

[JoePhilly]

9. Why does Obama hate the Jews????

[penndragon69]

12. Cut all military (WELFARE) payments to Israel.

Let them cover their own asses and then MAYBE..

They will stop being such arrogant PRICKS towards
the Muslim world !

[patrice]

14. I'm afraid too many people do not understand that personality type! So they don't believe you.

I know a few "arrogant PRICKS" and there's absolutely NOTHING you can do about their behavior. They take advantage of anything and everything that is not "arrogant prick-ness" and THAT they LOVE even when it is their own mortal enemy, because it is the means by which they define and give "substance" to their own empty souls.

[DonCoquixote]

16. Nice thought but

The muslims are themselves full of pricks that would bathe in Jew's blood.. The sad part is, bioth cukltures overlook they are in their mess because their God, that God of Abraham, is such a manipulative, worthless, lying piece of trash (in addition to never existing in the first place)

The onyl way there has ever been piece is when a third party forces peace, and right now, the Un is not up for that task.

[MADem]

50. Saudi Arabia plays a "both sides against the middle" game

and tosses money around like mad, keeping the "Enemy of my enemy is my friend" thing going, and uniting the Arab world in being professionally aggrieved so that oil-poor nations don't start questioning the House of Saud over their right to/distribution of oil wealth and their "Might Makes Right" assumption that they are somehow the only proper guardians of the Holy Places.

It doesn't matter if the God of Abraham/Ibrahim exists--so long as people are convinced that is the case, you'll have three of the world's major religions getting all excited over some real estate in a kinda warm area of the world.

That might be abated somewhat if the only thing we needed oil for was decorator lamps and motor lubrication....

[patrice]

13. Watch Congress continue to approve more support than we give to the entire continent of Africa. nt

[Nancy Waterman]

15. Not true!

but it might help Romney. I don't like fake foreign stories trying to impact our politics.

[iandhr]

19. The meeting will happen.

There will be some very fast face-saving statements and the meeting will take.

[azurnoir]

23. who will in your opinion "saving face" and why? n/t

[iandhr]

76. Bibi will try to save face with the President.

Bibi can not afford to risk anything in Israel's relationship with the United States.

[azurnoir]

89. Bibi seems to have placed his eggs in Rmoneys basket

but it doesn't look too good for Rmoney at the moment there is speculation that this will be used to gain support for Rmoney

[Tx4obama]

20. Netanyahu will not be at the UN the same day Obama will be.

-snip

An Israeli official said the White House had refused Netanyahu's request to meet Obama when the Israeli leader visits the United States to attend the U.N. General Assembly, telling the Israelis "the president's schedule will not permit that."

White House spokesman Tommy Vietor denied Netanyahu's request had been spurned, insisting instead that the two leaders were attending the General Assembly on different days and would not be in New York at the same time.

Netanyahu has had a strained relationship with Obama, but they have met on all but one of his U.S trips since 2009. The president was on a foreign visit when the prime minister came to the United States in November 2010.

-snip-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/11/obama-netanyahu-meeting_n_1874814.html

[Purveyor]

27. Just made NBC Nightly and it is about all rw hateradio are talking about this evening. Now I wonder

who presented this 'story' to Reuters?

[WCGreen]

31. Tell me bibi didn't do this on purpose so they could put some distance

between the American Jewish Community and president Obama.

He probably set it up so that when president Obama would be at the UN he was not. Then he could go out and cry a river to the "Israel as a staging ground for the second coming crowd" in the GOP and drive a wedge between American Jewish supporters and the Democratic Party.

They want Romney because they believe he will back bibi's belligerence no matter how dangerous.

I'm not saying we can't support Israel but it's time we reassess the relationship because we seem to be the one's doing all the supporting and giving in.

[Purveyor]

34. I'm pretty certain of it, indeed. Bastards. eom

[no_hypocrisy]

32. All Netanyahu is going to do is to make more threats if Obama doesn't attack Iran.

[Dkc05]

39. Time for a new friend over there

We have supported the wrong country for many years in the Middle East. Israel is not truly are friend. . The president knows what he is doing to achieve his goal.

[Hotler]

66. The hell with Israel. Stop subsidizing them with my tax dollors.

It's time they learned to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. Let the Jewish community and the repugs that support them us their own money to support the country.

[Carolina]

118. I totally agree with you, Hotler

I mightily resent that any of my tax dollars go to support the bully of th Middle East -- Israel

[bluestateguy]

78. This has already been debunked

and should not be propagated anymore.

[Tx4obama]

85. New: No meeting requested

White House: Obama talks with Netanyahu on Iran, no meeting sought

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama talked with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a call Tuesday night about the threat posed by Iran's nuclear program, according to a White House statement.

Obama placed the call to Netanyahu, a senior administration official told CNN.

The one-paragraph statement from the White House, which referred to the Obama-Netanyahu discussion as "a part of their ongoing consultations," followed reports earlier in the day that the White House had rejected a request by Netanyahu to meet with Obama this month to discuss Iran's nuclear program.

-snip-

"Contrary to reports in the press, there was never a request for Prime Minister Netanyahu to meet with President Obama in Washington, nor was a request for a meeting ever denied," the White House said Tuesday night in its statement, which made reference to "our close cooperation on Iran and other security issues."

-snip-

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/11/politics/obama-netanyahu-iran/index.html

[JustAnotherGen]

101. So basically

Someone made it up - and the media ran with it. Niiiiiiiiiiiiiice.

[.99center]

92. Another example of how left the media is

Are the networks and the journalist who reported this fake story going to be held accountable?

[ladjf]

103. Good. nt

[Zoeisright]

108. This story is a lie.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/11/obama-binyamin-netanyahu-us-visit?newsfeed=true

[underpants]

120. Right- Iran and Syria have to be dealt with also

Hosting the Israeli PM would not in any way help those issues.

[lanlady]

110. Good on Obama!

That asshole isn't just interfering in an election, he's blatantly trying to manipulate the electorate in this country. I'm glad the president called his bluff.

[SILVER__FOX52]

114. This was a Political stunt..........

Netanyahu is an idiot. He is completely immersed in the right-wing culture in the USA. They are in bed together. We have to pull away from this insane relationship with Israel. This effort by so-called Religious Organizations to control our Government is not only dangerous it is in direct contradiction to our Constitution. I and most other Americans, don't want this religious garbage infecting our Foreign Policy.

[Hab Habit]

117. About Bloody Time!

Your country doesn't have a Prime Minister, and doesn't need one! Especially not the head of an apartheid regime!

[Lil Missy]

119. Good. Now cut off the financial and military aid we give them.