Israel Matzav

Sarkozy: Netanyahu only lies sometimes

It's three weeks later, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy is now trying to claim that his remarks about Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu being a liar were 'taken out of context' and that Sarko really loves Israel.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy met on Thursday with Jewish leaders and tried to explain the embarrassing incident in which he was overheard calling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "liar".

One participant at the meeting told the JTA news agency that Sarkozy said the relationship between Netanyahu and his family was "strong" and claimed that his remarks were taken out of context. He also "expressed his firm desire to move beyond the misunderstanding following an off-record conversation.”

Sarkozy took part in a lunch with leaders of the French Jewish umbrella group CRIF. He “responded to a lot of our concerns,” said Francis Kalifat, CRIF treasurer.

Kalifat said Sarkozy gave the group “certain explanations,” for the recent conversation with Obama, in which both leaders didn't realize they were speaking into microphones that were turned on, allowing several journalists to hear three minutes of the conversation in an adjoining room. But Sarkozy asked that the group not repeat that explanation saying his words were taken out of context.

"The President reaffirmed his friendship and support for the State of Israel from the very beginning of our conversation," Kalifat said, adding: "He wanted to remind us that throughout his political career, he has had a profound attachment to Israel.”

Sarkozy also spoke of his “strong, long relationship and friendship with Netanyahu and his family,” and “expressed his firm desire to move beyond the misunderstanding following an off-record conversation.”

I don't buy it. The guy was caught with an open microphone and he said what he said. The only plausible explanation is that he meant that Bibi is only sometimes a liar. That's not much of an improvement.

Labels: Binyamin Netanyahu, Nicolas Sarkozy

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:45 PM