Israeli prime minister cancels White House meeting to deal with Gaza crisis

[kpete]

Source: Talking Points Memo



Israeli prime minister cancels White House meeting to deal with Gaza crisis

Staff
AP News

May 31, 2010 10:03 EDT

Israel's prime minister has called off a planned visit to the White House to deal with a crisis over a botched naval raid that killed 10 pro-Palestinian activists.

Netanyahu, who is in Canada, was set to travel to Washington to meet with President Barack Obama on Tuesday. But his office says he decided to return home early after Monday's commando raid.

The commandos intercepted a flotilla of activists trying to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip. The deadly crackdown has drawn widespread international condemnations.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

Read more: http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2010/05/israeli_prime_minister_cancels_white_house_meeting.php?ref=fpa

[AzDar]

1. Pretty embarrassing when your heavy-handed, murderous thuggery

draws such attention, isn't it.. BiBi. I wouldn't show my face either. :puke:

[howaboutme]

4. Perhaps that was the intent

The NPT discussion was going to be thorny. Perhaps these people were killed just to give Netanyahu a reason to cancel. Was it FDR who said, to paraphrase, that in politics everything happens for a reason and not happenstance?

[Barack_America]

7. Mmm, I suspect this was more under Lieberman's control.

I've no love for Netanyahu, but his camp seemed to be a bit blindsided and thrown off by this news. There were lots of conflicting stories this morning regarding his reaction and plans. That likely would not have been the case if this had been planned by his people.

[IndianaGreen]

10. Ehud Barak is the Defence Minister, and he is Labour

The IDF acted under Barak's orders, and Barak would have never issued such orders without Bibi's approval.

[Barack_America]

12. I misspoke when I said "control", I meant "influence".

My apologies.

[chimpymustgo]

9. He ought to be BARRED from the U.S.

:puke:

[activa8tr]

2. Question: Is the USA still giving aid to Israel? And if so, why?

when they engage in terrorist piracy ?

[Mr. Sparkle]

14. Because Aipac and co have got a majority of scumbags in congress wrapped around their little finger

when they can give $3 billion dollars of Americans money to a terrorist state in the middle east, for no reason what so ever.

The best they could come up with was, because the military was selling some crap to the Saudis, somehow, they needed to give a handout to Israel. That did not make sense back then and it dose not make any more sense now.

[NoodleyAppendage]

15. Bingo! n/t

J

[Barack_America]

3. The WH reaction to this cancelation will be interesting.

Reports from earlier this morning were that Netanyahu would continue his visit. And the later statement that he would cancel came with an announcement that he would still meet with Harper today despite the "urgency" of his return, which was a detail I found interesting.

[David__77]

11. There will be no substantive "reaction."

The visit is postponed because there was a crisis to respond to. These things do happen...

[IndianaGreen]

5. Bibi should be visiting The Hague instead

and he should bring with him some of the other war criminals and human rights abusers in Israel.

[Jennicut]

6. Not surprising. I honestly think Bibi wants to avoid attention right now.

Doesn't mean he gives a damn what happened.

[Barack_America]

8. On the contrary, he's already "fully endorsed" the actions.

[Frank Booth]

13. Nice framing in that headline.

Wouldn't something like "Israeli prime minister cancels White House meeting to deal Israeli mass-murder of international aid workers" be a bit more accurate?

[uppityperson]

19. I agree. and "intercepted a flotilla".

[howaboutme]

16. Were the commandos wearing Australian uniforms?

That seems to be their modus operandi. They have become just slick enough to piss off the entire world.

http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=176492

[TomCADem]

17. Did they have British Passports?

[Turbineguy]

18. Shoot a dozen people,

avoid having to eat American cooking.