.Some Israelis Insulted By Obama Picture
Israeli TV newscasters Tuesday night interpreted a photo taken Monday in the Oval Office of President Obama talking on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an "insult" to Israel.
They saw the incident as somewhat akin to an incident last year, when the Iraqi reporter threw a shoe at President Bush in Baghdad.
It is considered an insult in the Arab world to show the sole of your shoe to someone. It is not a Jewish custom necessarily, but Israel feels enough a part of the Middle East after 60 years to be insulted too.
Was there a subliminal message intended from the White House to Netanyahu in Jerusalem, who is publicly resisting attempts by Mr. Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to force Israel to stop any kind of settlement activity in occupied territories once and forever?
Whether or not it is true, it shows the mood in Israel. They feel cornered. The reactions out of Israel reflect that feeling.
Netanyahu is making a speech Sunday, in part as a response to Mr. Obama's address to the Arab world last week in Cairo.
Israel's Channel One TV reported that Netanyahu was told Tuesday by an "American official" in Jerusalem that, "We are going to change the world. Please, don't interfere." The report said Netanyahu's aides interpreted this as a "threat."
Netanyahu met with George Mitchell today for four hours in Jerusalem. The State Department announced this afternoon that Mitchell will be stopping in Beirut and Damascus when he finishes his visits to Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
CBS
posted by madtom at 7:48 PM
3 Comments:
Probably unintentional, but this was no doubt a White House provided photo. How stupid are they? You have a lot of people in Israel who think Obama is ready to see them down the river and they choose to release a photo where O man is cooly shooting the shit with the top elected Israeli official on a subject directly related to their continuing survival?
Again, either they are sending signals to their Muslim brethren who he damn sure would not insult in that way, or they are incompetent boobs.
I think he did it on purpose in retaliation to that video I posted yesterday.
Or at least that's what I think...
Anyway, it's all good, all going as planed. You cant deny he's touched a nerve. I mean even here, with the right wing nuts going off the end and shooting up doctors and museums....
I fail to see the connection. Who knows what was in the idiot's mind, but assuming he was a racist activist Neo Nazi type, what about O's actions would have provoked that act? Did O signal it was open season on Jews? If you hate Israel, O would seem to be the best thing since Carter. Even better.
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