The Obama administration admonished Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political party on Wednesday, accusing it of using anti-Arab rhetoric ahead of Israel’s election. A spokesman said President Barack Obama still believes in Palestinian statehood – even if Netanyahu no longer does.
In its first public response to Netanyahu’s triumph in the election, the spokesman said the White House was “deeply concerned” about divisive language emanating from Netanyahu’s Likud Party. White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the party had sought to marginalize Israel’s minority Arabs, an apparent reference to social media posts the Likud distributed that warned Israelis about the danger of high turnout by Arab voters.
“These are views the administration intends to convey directly to the Israelis,” Earnest said.
And while Earnest said Obama would be calling Netanyahu to congratulate him on his victory, he acknowledged the U.S. would have to re-evaluate the best way to bring about a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — a cornerstone of U.S. Mideast policy for years. In a veer to the right just before the election, Netanyahu reversed his former position and said he now opposes the creation of a separate Palestinian state.
“Based on those comments, the U.S. will evaluate our position going forward,” Earnest told reporters traveling aboard Air Force One on a flight to Cleveland for an event focused on U.S. manufacturing.
Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to Netanyahu shortly after the election to congratulate him, Earnest said, and Obama was to do the same in the days ahead. Downplaying any suggestion the president was delaying that call, Earnest pointed out that after previous Israeli elections, Obama had waited until the Israeli president had formally tasked the leading candidate with forming a new government. Israel’s largely ceremonial president is expected to take that step soon.
Earnest said he didn’t expect Netanyahu’s victory to have a negative impact on nuclear negotiations the U.S. and world powers are conducting with Iran, noting that the Israeli leader’s views on the issue are well known. Netanyahu railed against those talks earlier this month in a speech to Congress that was perceived as a rebuke to Obama.
Netanyahu drew criticism as Israelis were voting Tuesday after a midday post on his Facebook page contended high Arab voter turnout was endangering his Likud Party’s rule. “Arab voters are going to the polls in droves. Left-wing organizations are bringing them in buses,” he said.
THE FOLLOWING TRANSCRIPT WAS GIVEN TO YWN BY THE WHITEHOUSE:
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Secretary of State John Kerry telephoned Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier today to congratulate him on the Israeli elections.
Earnest said he anticipates Obama will also call Netanyahu “in the coming days.”
In two previous Israeli elections, Earnest said Obama did not telephone Netanyahu until he was directed by the Israeli president to form a government. Earnest said it is possible call could come sooner this time, but would not give an exact date.
On Likud party messaging warning that Netanyahu’s opponents were turning out Arab-Israeli voters:
The rhetoric “sought to marginalize Arab-Israeli citizens,” Earnest said.
“The United States and this administration is deeply concerned about rhetoric that seeks to marginalize Arab-Israeli citizens. It undermines the values and Democratic ideals that have been important to our democracy and an important part of what binds the United States and Israel together.”
“Rhetoric that seeks to marginalize one segment of their population is deeply concerning and it is divisive and I can tell you that these are views the administration intends to communicate directly to the Israelis.”
Earnest said he did not know whether Kerry passed along this message to Netanyahu and would not say if POTUS would bring it up with him.
On Palestinian state comments from Netanyahu:
Netanyahu “indicated a change in his position” in the recent election and based on those comments, “The United States will reevaluate our approach” to the situation.
“It has been the policy of the United States for more than 20 years that a two-state solution is the goal of resolving the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians,” Earnest said.
Going forward, a the U.S. continue to believe a two-state solution is the “best way to diffuse tensions” in the region.
“Based on Prime Minister Netanyahu’s comments, the united states will reevaluate our position and the path forward in this situation.”
(AP)
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13 Responses
Israel is saved , thanks god , let us pray that it should be peace forever in the middle east !
The not so hidden message here is: Forget about a US veto next time the Palestinians asks for recognition from the UN Security Counsel.
And the EU countries will soon follow the Swedish example and recognize a Palestinian state.
Mr Netanyahu, you won the battle (Israeli elections) but Israel lost the war (the World sympathy).
Is there anyone, including Josh Ernest himself, who believes that if Herzog would have won that his “lowness” would have waited until Rivlin would formally ask him to form a government? I didn’t think so.
Obama Esq ia bad loser. No one can deny that Israel is a democracy. This was not a North Korean election. Obama should simply acknowledge that the majority of Israeli don’t share his world view.
watch for obama and his cronies to permit Palestinian statehood at the UN
And the Farshtinkine Obama can have his black panthers intimidate voters and not say a word about that. What a sick hypcrite
obama is a racist.he is anti white; and anti American; the people who he hung around with should all be in Jail including al sharpton.Bill Ayers and his wife
Let this fool worry about Isis not Netanyahu….
They are commiting Genocide and this Anti-semwite is worried about Democracy…
Hashem has his plans for Bambi
“It has been the policy of the United States for more than 20 years that a two-state solution is the goal of resolving the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians,” Earnest said.
And I say that the USA should give up half of the US to Isis in order to resolve our conflict with them.
The idea of Obama’s administration admonishing anyone about divisive rhetoric would be hysterically funny if it weren’t so pathetic.
Obama is the king of divisive rhetoric. But because he regards himself as just that – a king – he acts as though it is only justified when he himself uses it, but reprehensible when used by anyone else.
And #2, sorry to tell you but it sure looked as though Netanyahu garnered a lot of sympathy on Capitol Hill, from both sides. As for everyone else – included the EU and American leftists – most of the people here in EY couldn’t care one whit about what they think because their stance isn’t based on logic anyway.
#9’s comment was extremely incisive:
“And I say that the USA should give up half of the US to Isis in order to resolve our conflict with them.”
THat’s just the point. ISIS would never be satisfied with half of the US because their goal is world domination. Same with the so-called Palestinians: their goal is to reconquer the “original” dar-al-Islam (land of Islam) and maintain absolute rulership over it, i.e. to make it Judenrein. Therefore, no two-state “solution” is going to make them happy.
Bibi tells the truth and the truth is not normally so beautiful.
Obama is politically correct (meaning interjects much BS in his speeches) and lies are generally very beautiful since they are not limited to being true they can be as beautiful as the speakers so choose.
Israelis chose Bibi; we want our land. Obama likes to be politically correct even at the expense of the Jews (it is no skin off his hide).
Im waiting for the day when Obama moves back to Kenya and say “HA I fooled you all, I was always Muslim!”