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Nicolas Sarkozy and Barack Obama during the G20 in Cannes in November 2011.
President Barack Obama‘s relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have reached a new low this week following his remarks during the G20 meeting in Cannes a few days ago.
According to journalists who overheard a private meeting between Mr. Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, both leaders expressed their frustration at Mr. Netanyahu’s behavior.
Mr. Sarkozy is reported to have said he “could no longer stand him” and that “he was a liar.” Mr. Obama is thought to have told the French head of state that he was getting away lightly. “You’re fed up with him? I have to deal with him every day!” was Mr. Obama’s response.
Unlike Mr. Sarkozy, President Obama did not describe the Israeli Premier as a liar. However, his exasperation was clear for all to see. Mr. Obama sees Mr. Netanyahu as a hard-line politician who seems to be intent on continuing the construction of settlements in the West Bank instead of entering into meaningful dialogue with a currently receptive Palestinian authority.
Mr. Obama’s position is made more difficult by Mr. Netanyahu’s close relationship with the Republicans. This prevents the president from exerting the kind of pressure on the Israeli Premier he believes the Middle East situation warrants. At the same time, the U.S. president is aware that his hard stance on Israel could damage the support he currently receives from Jewish American voters.
Although Presidents Sarkozy and Obama’s remarks may annoy Mr. Netanyahu, the exchanges between the two men last week do not signify that Israel has lost the support of two of his main allies. President Sarkozy reiterated during the G20 summit that “France will not stand by with arms crossed” should Israel be attacked. Similarly, should Israel decide to carry out pre-emptive strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the Obama administration would undoubtedly support the ‘Jewish state’ in any way it can. The risks of an Israeli unilateral strike on Iran are growing larger by the day and are unlikely to be reduced following the International Atomic Energy Agency‘s report that Iran had accumulated a sufficient amount of uranium to build four nuclear bombs.
Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann, who feels that the U.S. do not currently have close enough ties with Israel, condemned President Obama’s comments. The Minnesota congresswoman urged “President Obama to immediately apologize to Prime Minister Netanyahu.”
Arizona Senator John McCain also condemned the president’s remarks. He believes these sum up pretty accurately the current administration’s feelings towards Israel. Mr. McCain told Fox News that he was “a great admirer” of Mr. Netanyahu. He said he also believed that Israel was “under more pressure and probably in more danger than they’ve been ever since the 1967 war.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mr. Netanyahu’s unwillingness to reach a two-state solution with the Palestinians has been illustrated by his insistence that Israel be recognized as a Jewish state and by his many broken pledges to put an end to the building of settlements in the West Bank.
As a result, many are convinced that the Israeli prime minister is largely to blame for the suspension of the peace talks. Moreover, many strongly believe that no agreement can be reached as long as Mr. Netanyahu remains in power.
