The White House's response marks a new low in relations between Netanyahu and Obama, underscored by the fact that this is the first time Netanyahu will visit the U.S. as prime minister without meeting Obama; PM to meet with Clinton.
The White House declined Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request on Tuesday to meet U.S. President Barack Obama during a UN conference in New York at the end of the month. The White House National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor told Haaretz the two would not meet due to a scheduling conflict. "The President arrives in New York for the UN on Monday, September 24th and departs on Tuesday, September 25th. The Prime Minister doesn’t arrive in New York until later in the week. They're simply not in the city at the same time." Vietor did, however, say that Netanyahu and Obama are "in frequent contact" and that the PM would meet with other senior officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. [Editor's Comment]
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John Glaser: Netanyahu: US Has No Moral Right to Block Israeli Strike on Iran
Russia Today: Netanyahu denied meeting with Obama after lashing out at US - The White House has shot-down a request from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet with US President Barack Obama later this month, a rejection that comes right after an unusually hostile statement directed towards the United States. On Tuesday, Netanyahu deterred from a news conference with the prime minister of Bulgaria to speak, in English, about how he personally views the United States’ attitudes towards the Iranian nuclear conflict. "The world tells Israel 'wait, there's still time'. And I say, 'Wait for what? Wait until when?'" Netanyahu said. "Those in the international community who refuse to put red lines before Iran don't have a moral right to place a red light before Israel.” Netanyahu’s remarks are being considered a direct statement to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who days earlier said explicitly that the Obama administration doesn’t intend on laying out “red lines” regarding Iran, adding, “We’re not setting deadlines.”