Obama vs. Netanyahu: Tale of the Tape
This afternoon’s joint White House appearance between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a pretty low-key affair, as predicted.
Jul 31, 202093.9K Shares3.7M Views
This afternoon’s joint White House appearance between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a pretty low-key affair, as predicted. Hard disagreements got sanded down, platitude-level pleasantries got played up, and a placid time was had by all. Netanyahu can return home tomorrow night justifiably happy that Obama didn’t rebuke him in any public way. Disagreements were pretty subtle — but they were in evidence. Let’s tally them up from the transcript.
Explicit references from Obama to a Palestinian state or a two-state solution: Two.
Explicit references from Obama to George Mitchell, his peacenik envoy to the Middle East whom certain right-wing alleged friends of Israel think is too “fair-minded”: Two.
Preferred locution for the endpoint of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from Netanyahu that doesn’t include any reference to Palestinian statehood: “A substantive solution that allows the two people to live side by side in security and peace.” Repeated twice.
Netanyahu’s description of the Iranian threat to Israel: “The worst danger we face is that Iran would develop nuclear military capabilities.”
Obama’s response, from a policy perspective: “Iran can achieve its interests of security and international respect and prosperity for its people through other means, and I am prepared to make what I believe will be a persuasive argument, that there should be a different course to be taken.”
Explicit references from Obama to the 2007 Annapolis peace process and/or the roadmap as binding commitments, which Netanyahu has disputed: Two, including three uses of the word “obligations.”
Dexter Cooke
Reviewer
Dexter Cooke is an economist, marketing strategist, and orthopedic surgeon with over 20 years of experience crafting compelling narratives that resonate worldwide.
He holds a Journalism degree from Columbia University, an Economics background from Yale University, and a medical degree with a postdoctoral fellowship in orthopedic medicine from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Dexter’s insights into media, economics, and marketing shine through his prolific contributions to respected publications and advisory roles for influential organizations.
As an orthopedic surgeon specializing in minimally invasive knee replacement surgery and laparoscopic procedures, Dexter prioritizes patient care above all.
Outside his professional pursuits, Dexter enjoys collecting vintage watches, studying ancient civilizations, learning about astronomy, and participating in charity runs.
Latest Articles
Popular Articles