Posted on 04/09/2010 5:14:24 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Israel's prime minister has called off a trip to Washington next week to attend a conference on nuclear non-proliferation, deepening tensions with Barack Obama and threatening to overshadow an event the US president views as crucial to his global agenda.
Israeli officials said Benjamin Netanyahu decided to send a minister in his place after reports that Muslim nations in the Middle East would single out Israel's undeclared nuclear programme for criticism.
The White House tried to downplay the cancellation, but will be privately furious at a very public snub by Mr Netanyahu, who may have been looking for such an opportunity after a recent tete-a-tete with Mr Obama behind closed doors in Washington.
Mr Netanyahu returned home from those talks to a tide of derision in the Israeli press, with a showdown over Jewish settlement construction in East Jerusalem unresolved and relations between the two allies descending into open hostility.
Mike Hammer, the White House National Security Council spokesman, simply said the Israeli government "has informed us" of the decision to send Dan Meridor, a deputy prime minister and the intelligence and atomic energy minister, to the nuclear security summit of 47 nations convened by Mr Obama.
"We welcome Deputy Prime Minister Meridor's participation in the conference.
Israel is a close ally and we look forward to continuing to work closely on issues related to nuclear security," he said.
Egypt and Turkey were believed to be the states contemplating an attempt to shame Israel, though the chances of them doing so as guests of Mr Obama were remote.
Muslim nations including Egypt, which has a peace treaty with Israel have often complained about Israel's nuclear programme. The Jewish state has not admitted to possessing nuclear weapons, preferring a policy it calls "ambiguity." International experts have estimated
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Good. The American people are making the wh furious too. We are doing our very best. Great to be in such good company.
I suspect that Netanyahu no longer sees any point in bothering with our poseur buffoon President. I don’t blame him.
Bibi will never give the punk Marxist-in-chief a second chance to snub him.
You’re right.
It’s not like anybody important is going to be there anyway.
Bibi is more American than Obama and that’s a certainty.
In fact, Bibi is more American than the all the democrats in congress.
Exactly my point.
Now that us an idea worth considering. ;-)
bttt
I whole heartedly agree!
More so than you are saying... Things are coming to pass.
Speaking of SNUBs! Who walked out and left the PM in “time out” for two hours while he went and ate dinner with his family when the PM visited the White House last month?
Oh, and thankfully I did not need your support while I was on Monkey Mountain. I’m glad though that you were around and probably available..heh. Thanks for all you did...
If you were up there on Monkey Mountian in ‘72 I was on our flight line fron 6pm to 6am (and beyound) working on F4-J Phantoms. Hated the 1am to 4am time period. That is when the Cong would lob their rockes down on us. “Cong”? Can we say that now days? Heeeee
Is there any way we can confer American citizenship on Bibi Netanyahu?
Yeah, I know, he’s disqualified under the Constitution from becoming President.
But isn’t that what amendments are for?
;^)
Once it proved that Obama isn’t a natural born citizen,...
what’s to stop us from nominating Bibi?
In all seriousness, yes that’s what amendments are for.
Recall the recent talk about this very subject when Arnold was a his peak popularity?
The talk comes and goes.
Heh... Well, I guess I missed yah... I was there from 69-70, a bit earlier and missed your protection... At least you were there for protection later... Heh, we may be not so politically correct to say “Cong”, but that is much nicer that what we use to call them. Have pictures of Monkey Mountain that I should post one of these days...
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