Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu turned down the offer of a meeting with president Barack Obama, prompting a sharp response from the White House, in the latest evidence of the tense relations between the two leaders.

The abrupt decision by Netanyahu to cancel a visit to Washington later this month surprised US officials, who said they learned of the cancellation via the media.


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The White House additionally disputed reports in the Israeli media that said Netanyahu cancelled the trip after the White House had been unable to find a date for a meeting that worked with Obama’s schedule, saying those suggestions were “false”.

The latest friction between Netanyahu and Obama – who have had a tense relationship, not least over the issue of Iran – came ahead of a visit by vice-president Joe Biden to Israel, when the issue of US military aid to the country is expected to be on the agenda.

Netanyahu had been expected to visit the US in March on a trip coinciding with a major pro-Israeli group’s annual summit.

The White House said Israel had proposed two dates for a meeting between the leaders and the US had offered to meet on one of those days.

“We were looking forward to hosting the bilateral meeting,” said Ned Price, a spokesman for the White House’s national security council.

“We were surprised to first learn via media reports that the prime minister, rather than accept our invitation, opted to cancel his visit.”

The unusually pointed pushback from the White House was the latest signal of ongoing tensions between the US and its closest Middle Eastern ally, which have never fully recovered since Obama incensed Netanyahu’s government by pursuing and then enacting a nuclear deal with Iran.

A statement later issued by the prime minister’s office said that while Netanyahu “appreciated Obama’s willingness to meet him”, he decided “not to go to Washington at this time, at the height of the primary election campaigns in the United States”. Sources in Netanyahu’s office briefed that a continued disagreement over the size of a new US defence aid deal was also a factor.

The US is offering an increase in military aid to Israel of around $5bn over a decade, while Israel is seeking $10bn to $15bn more.

This was not the first time Obama had been caught off guard by Netanyahu’s travel plans. Last year, the White House accused him of a breach of longstanding diplomatic protocol when he announced plans to speak to a joint session of Congress without consulting or notifying the president.


Netanyahu used that speech to implore US lawmakers to reject the Iran nuclear deal, which Israel sees as emboldening its arch enemy.

Israel and the United States have been seeking to move past deep disagreement over the Iran nuclear accord and work out a new 10-year defence aid package.

The current deal gives Israel some $3.1bn annually, in addition to spending on other projects such as missile defence.

However, Israeli officials have made clear they had been hoping for a more generous deal than the one currently on offer, suggesting they would prefer to wait until a new president is elected to sign off on it.

Biden’s trip, due to begin on Tuesday, comes amid a five-month wave of violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories that has killed 181 Palestinians and 28 Israelis.

Biden will meet Netanyahu and later in the day he will travel to Ramallah to meet the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.

The White House said on Friday that Biden would not be pursuing any major new peace initiatives during his visit.

Obama has acknowledged that there will be no comprehensive agreement between Israelis and Palestinians before he leaves office in January 2017.

His administration’s tough criticism of Israeli settlement-building in the occupied West Bank has added to tensions between the two longstanding allies.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/08/binyamin-netanyahu-turns-down-meeting-barack-obama

SirShymexx:
Loool.

Israeli president is now more powerful than the POTUS, thanks to AIPAC.

He won't dare turn down a chance to meet Emperor Putin.

Rankings of the most powerful leaders in the world:

- Putin.
- Netanyahu.








- Obama.

Ogbeche77:
Lol.. Lets see how powerful he will be if US withdraw her support for Isreal..
The country is surrounded by Islamic nations who can't wait to feast on the Isrealis if US back off..
I laugh in Persian & Arabic

SirShymexx:
Loool.

Israeli president is now more powerful than the POTUS, thanks to AIPAC.

He won't dare turn down a chance to meet Emperor Putin.

Rankings of the most powerful leaders in the world:

- Putin.
- Netanyahu.








- Obama.

Ogbeche77:
Lol.. Lets see how powerful he will be if US withdraw her support for Isreal..
The country is surrounded by Islamic nations who can't wait to feast on the Isrealis if US back off..
I laugh in Persian & Arabic

OBAGADAFFI:
DUH.

BIBI is simply angry at Obama's Iranian deals.

To make matters worst Obama is also making deals with Cuba.

There is something wrong with theses LIBERALS.

vedaxcool:
Israel the worlds only welfare state poking the US which pays for its welfare anyway their problem, Obama has done what he wants inspite of their coalition of lobbyist make them take heart

Appleyard:
You will be laughing in swahili if only you know who runs the MIC, Wall Street, the electoral system, and the Dark massion called the WhiteHouse.

Don't even go near Congress - the church of Mossad.

Appleyard:
Lol! I had to scroll down miles before i was able to locate the name of ''Barrack Obeyma.'' Pathetic! But what else do you expect from a leader who knows next to nothing about geopolitics and realpolitiks? That's why NetanyahOO can go to address congress without ObumBa knowing it. You won't blame him, especially not when Russia, in his puppeteered clueless eyes, is only a ''regional power,'' the same regional power that Netanyahoo rushed to visit twice in Moscow to secure a consensus ad idem on Syria.
The zombie cluelessness was further magnified when he later stated that Russia is the 2nd most poweful nation in the world - Fela's confusion break bone quickly comes to mind.

It is an insult to the embodiment of hierarchical order in listing the promoter of the Accronym 'Daesh,' in the same pinacle of excellence that consist of the Son of Levi, Benjamin, and of course, the Demon Destroyer and grandson of the 27th descendant of Samson, Vladimirovich Mohamadu Putin.

Well, thank God for the wide gap in between the names -the 2nd above from the abominable 3rd below. Anyone can fill in the missing ones, even footballers will do, and the last won't get noticed even if deleted.

Because the clueless is never aware.

SirShymexx:


Obumber is a lackey and he embodies the current state of an empire that is on its last legs.

When you realise that Trump is the next president of the empire - you know it is game over.

Missy89:


So u really believe trump will be president?

SirShymexx:


And who's going to stop him, if he wins the GOP ticket? Hilarious Clinton the clown? Hysterical.

All he needs to do is pick Ted Cruz as his running mate and it's game over.

Trump's Decade...Welcome to Amerikkka!

Missy89:


If I remember correctly, you said jeb was going to win d nomination few months back.

Cruz will never be a vp to trump. That is very unlikely.

What is d latest with brexit?

SirShymexx:


Trump took all of Jeb's electorates. I think yanks are done with the Bush family and they want proper nutjobs after the Obama deception.

Never say never when it comes to politics. Trump is also saying what folks want to hear. He's a business man and he knows he needs Latino/Hispanic votes for victory to be assured and to counter black votes. And Latino/Hispanic are divided between the two parties, depending on shade, so he needs Cruz.

Brexit is just all about hype. Cameron already got a decent deal - the UK will most likely remain in the EU. A lot of Brits live in EU countries and I doubt they want to give it up.

happney65:


missy89 abi wetin i talk?

Thank You

Missy89:



Most Critics of the US have always hold America to a different standard which is hypocritical. An aggressive america is evil and when it negotiates, it is seen as weak.at the same time, Any other aggressive great power is defending herself and when it negotiates, it is reasonable.

It seems they believe America should be held on a different standard because of her powerful status but at the same time, they believe in a multipolar world but refuse to treat every country the same when it comes to their geopolitical machinations.

That said, I never liked Obama but his Iran and Cuba Policy seems to be working and like you rightly said, the Iran elections is a testament to that.

happney65:


Exactly..The Iran and Cuba Policy is working.That is a reasonable Policy at work..You said it all..Thumbs up..Missy by the way,Do you live in Nigeria or where?

Missy89:


Guam

happney65:


I see.Are you Nigerian?

Missy89:



Most Critics of the US have always hold America to a different standard which is hypocritical. An aggressive america is evil and when it negotiates, it is seen as weak.at the same time, Any other aggressive great power is defending herself and when it negotiates, it is reasonable.

It seems they believe America should be held on a different standard because of her powerful status but at the same time, they believe in a multipolar world but refuse to treat every country the same when it comes to their geopolitical machinations.

That said, I never liked Obama but his Iran and Cuba Policy seems to be working and like you rightly said, the Iran elections is a testament to that.

Missy89:

The system is already stacked up against Trump. The proportional delegate count in early primary race is designed to prevent ochlocracy in the first place. Angry voters and far right/left electorates have always existed in both parties but there is no doubt that the two party/ presidential system means most American electorates are moderates.

If there were few candidates in the first place, Trump wont even be news anymore. His base within the party is still 30-40% (not enough to win nationally). I dont see him winning for now anyway.

SirShymexx:


Most yanks are moderated, yet the Tea Party stay winning elections - hysterical. When you have the support of the Koch Brothers, you know you have power. Let's face it, the overwhelming majority of white Americans support Trump's policies in the closet and passively. Only liberals have a problem with him. And when you look at Latinos like the Cuban in Miami, I'd wager that the overwhelming majority of them are pro-Trump. Trump is a businessman and trust me if he gets the GOP ticket, he's going to tweak his strategy. Right now, he's just playing the game by appealing to the new core of the conservative party.

Also, in recent times, has any of the two political parties in America, won back to back elections (not the same person winning two terms - I'm alluding to the same party going on a 16-year run)?

SirShymexx:


Obumber is a lackey and he embodies the current state of an empire that is on its last legs.

When you realise that Trump is the next president of the empire - you know it is game over.

Missy89:


Explain to me how israel runs the US military industrial complex

Ogbeche77:
Lol.. Lets see how powerful he will be if US withdraw her support for Isreal..
The country is surrounded by Islamic nations who can't wait to feast on the Isrealis if US back off..
I laugh in Persian & Arabic

Missy89:


Explain to me how israel runs the US military industrial complex