Israel Matzav

US and France practicing damage control

Two days after Presidents Obama and Sarcozy were caught with their proverbial pants down (not the first time as you can see from the picture at top left - no it's not a photoshop), both governments are practicing damage control and trying to convince us that they really do love Israel and even enjoy working with Prime Minister Netanyahu.

US President Barack Obama has a "very close working relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu. They speak very regularly," Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes said Wednesday, days after Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy were overheard ridiculing the Israeli leader during a private exchange at the G20 summit in Cannes.

Briefing reporters at the White House, Rhodes said, "I think they've probably spent more time one on one than any other leader that the president has engaged in. That's rooted in the fact that the US and Israel share a deep security relationship but also a values-based relationship.

"I think our actions speak very loudly, which is that this president has taken security cooperation with Israel to unprecedented levels. He has stood up time and again against delegitimization of Israel – whether it's the Goldstone report, the flotilla or, of course, most recently, Palestine efforts to see unilateral measures at the UN to shortcut negotiations," he said.

"So our record speaks very clearly about the president's commitment to Israel, and he, again, I think, has maintained a very close working relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu where they've been able to communicate clearly on these issues," the American official added.

Yada, yada, yada. I wonder if anyone is buying this other than the ADL, the AJC and Ira Forman.

Meanwhile, Sarkozy met with leaders of the World Jewish Congress and the CRIF - the organized French Jewish community on Wednesday, and although the Jews didn't raise the issue of Sarkozy's comments about Netanyahu, Sarkozy did.

None of the visitors to the palace brought up Tuesday’s headline story in which Sarkozy was heard calling Netanyahu a liar in a conversation with US President Barack Obama.

But the sources added that Sarkozy has spoken of his support for Netanyahu.

“I have defended Bibi throughout my political life,” the French president said, according to the sources. He added that he was a longtime supporter of Israel and its leadership, even when people made anti- Semitic slurs against him as a result.

Sarkozy told the Jewish leadership he felt that Israel had lost the media war and had failed to make its case to the international community that it wanted peace, according to the sources.

Kind of like the guy who gets caught cheating with another woman, and then tells everyone else how he really loves his wife. It rings hollow. But then, Sarkozy is an expert on that, isn't he?

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu, Nicolas Sarkozy

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:58 AM