Good Grief: Obama & Sarkozy Caught Dissing Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu over an Open Mic
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on November 8, 2011
Classy... NOT: Barack Obama was overhead on an open mic insulting Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu
Last week at the G20 conference, Pres. Barack Obama clumsily insulted France’s Pres. Nicolas Sarkozy about his looks while talking about Sarkozy’s newborn daughter, Guilia.
Sarakozy, very sensitive about his appearance, was not amused by Obama’s public blunder. Neither were many of the French people. Makes one wonder if Barack did that on purpose…
But, the actions of POTUS just become more and more embarrassing as we move forward. Yesterday it was reported that Obama and Sarkozy were caught dissing Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The disparaging remarks from the two world leaders were overheard on open microphones.
Members of the press said they were asked not to report on the accidentally overheard Obama-Sarkozy gossip-slam fest against Netanyahu due to the, uh, “sensitivity of the matter.”
Ya think?
World leaders… or “Mean Girls” teen drama queens? Tough to tell.
This newest Obama faux pas doesn’t, however, equal the shocking, rude snub of Obama’s in March 2010, when he huffily abandoned Netanyahu in the White House to go eat dinner with Michelle and his daughters.
Well, maybe it does equal it — but perhaps we’re getting used to the fact that Barry Obama can be a classless horse’s arse without too much effort. As can be Nicolas Sarkozy.
From NewsMax, Obama Caught Criticizing Netanyahu:
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and President Barack Obama were reportedly caught on open microphones talking disparagingly about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ynetnews.com reports.
According to a Monday report in the French website “Arret sur Images,” after the two leaders spoke to reporters during a G20 press conference last week, they retired to a private room to continue discussions on the day’s events.
The leaders’ microphones had been inadvertently left on.
At one point, Sarkozy told Obama that he did not like Netanyahu, saying, “I cannot stand him. He is a liar.” According to the report, Obama replied: “You’re fed up with him, but I have to deal with him every day!”
The two leaders’ microphones remained on for several minutes. The press was not aware of the open mics until later, as most had headsets provided during the summit for simultaneous translation.
Members of the press said those present were asked not to report on the matter due to the “sensitivity of the matter.”
From Ynet News, Report: Sarkozy calls Netanyahu ‘liar’:
French President Nicolas Sarkozy reportedly told US President Barack Obama that he could not “stand” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that he thinks the Israeli premier “is a liar.”
According to a Monday report in the French website “Arret sur Images,” after facing reporters for a G20 press conference on Thursday, the two presidents retired to a private room, to further discuss the matters of the day.
The conversation apparently began with President Obama criticizing Sarkozy for not having warned him that France would be voting in favor of the Palestinian membership bid in UNESCO despite Washington’s strong objection to the move.
The conversation then drifted to Netanyahu, at which time Sarkozy declared: “I cannot stand him. He is a liar.” According to the report, Obama replied: “You’re fed up with him, but I have to deal with him every day!”
The remark was naturally meant to be said in confidence, but the two leaders’ microphones were accidently left on, making the would-be private comment embarrassingly public.
The communication faux pas went unnoticed for several minutes, during which the conversation between the two heads of state – which quickly reverted to other matters – was all but open to members the press, who were still in possession of headsets provided by the Elysée for the sake of simultaneous translation during the G20 press conference.
“By the time the (media) services at the Elysée realize it, it was on for at least three minutes,” one journalist told the website. Still, he said that reporters “did not have a chance to take advantage of this fluke.”
The surprising lack of coverage may be explained by a report alleging that journalists present at the event were requested to sign an agreement to keep mum on the embarrassing comments. A Reuters reporter was among the journalists present and can confirm the veracity of the comments.
The Blaze weighs in:
In a “faux pas” for the ages, President Barack Obama conducted what he assumed was a private conversation about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with French President Nicolas Sarkozy after the G20 summit on Thursday. The only problem, however, was that the microphones the two men were wearing from their earlier press conference, had not in fact been turned off. What ensued was a major public embarrassment after both Obama and the French PM disparaged Netanyahu, saying they cannot “stand” dealing with him.
[...]
While it perhaps comes as no surprise that Obama harbors little affection for the Israeli PM, to have his true feelings revealed publicly in such a manner highlights the disingenuousness of any of his past complimentary sentiments for Netanyahu, and thus, is truly a cringe-worthy moment for the president.
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